INTRODUCTION
The first thing I would like for you to notice and pay close attention to is Jesus’
explanation for speaking in parables. This perhaps is one of the most arresting things
Jesus has ever said. His explanation took place in the private circle of His disciples.
Check out verses 10-16
Matthew 13:11-16
Did you notice in verse 11 that God is very selective regarding who He will allow to know
truth. Then notice that although God is sovereign and selecting, He is still holding man
responsible for his lack of attending to the Word of God, vv.14-15.
We must be breaking in on the gates of heaven earnestly pleading with God not to let
us be hearing, but not understanding, or seeing, but not perceiving. Lord do not let our
hearts become dull so that our ears do not work and we close our eyes.
The parables are given for those who have a passion for seeing, hearing, and
understanding. The parable of the sower is one of few parables found in all three
Synoptic Gospels. It is very interesting to see how Matthew leads into the parable
teachings of Jesus mainly the parable of the soils. Chapter 13 is preceded by an
account of the healing ministry of Jesus (chapters 8-9). At the conclusion of this
section, Matthew records that Jesus was teaching in the synagogues, preaching the
good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness (9:35). He
looked at the crowds and because they lacked spiritual guidance he had compassion
on them. "Then He said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are
few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field" (9:
37-38).
In chapter 10 Matthew records the sending out of the twelve disciples [prayer
answered]. He warns them that they would meet opposition, endure hatred, and face
loss of life. Chapter 10 ends with a discourse on the meaning of discipleship and the
rewards associated with it (vv. 24-42). This theme of costly discipleship continues into
the next two chapters and was illustrated by John the Baptist who was accused of being
a demon and Jesus Himself who was said to be a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend
of tax collectors and sinners.
The people in Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and America refused to repent and
believe His words. It seemed as if John and Jesus had been plowing on shallow ground,
and the seed they had sown had failed to produce a crop. However the final words of
chapter 12 make it plain that the kingdom of God had come and those people who do
the will of God are part and parcel of that kingdom. These are the ones who belong to
the family of Christ, i.e. His brother, sister, and mother (12:50).
It is at this point that Matthew introduces the parable of the sower. The gospel writer
has skillfully set the stage for the parable. His aim is to alert his readers to the
multiplicity of responses to the kingdom message and to the unexpected harvest that
will be gathered in God's kingdom. That makes this parable at once an encouragement
and a warning. What is your response to the kingdom message? This is the question
that begs an answer.
THE HARD IMPENETRABLE SOIL/HEART: 13:4, 19
This is the soil along the path. Such ground has been trampled down by the many feet
that have passed that way over scores of years. The seed falls upon the soil and just
lays there, it never sinks in. The Word of God reaches the heart of the individual, but
before the Word can have any effect at all, the evil one (Matthew), Satan (Mark), or the
devil (Luke), comes and snatches it away.
These are those that politely listen to the Gospel, but they are hearers only. The hard
heart has no understanding, no comprehension. There has been simply a mental and
verbal assent to a host of religious statements (Jesus in my heart, baptized, saved) but
no spiritual understanding of truth. No interest in learning truth, little effort, no passion,
no persistence. The message is not precious to them, because their hearts are as hard
as the footpath along the grain field.
THE SHALLOW SOIL/HEART: 13:5-6, 20-21
The seed on the rocky places appears to get an early start. The summer heat that was
trapped in the rock substratum is now gradually released in the colder months of
November and December. The green shoots spring up quickly, and while the rest of the
field is still barren, they make quite an impressive show. The trained eye of the farmer
sees the difference. He knows that the appearance of the green stalks of grain on the
rocky places is deceptive; when the rains have ceased, and the sun in the spring of the
year rises with
increasing heat (we have our seasons), the plants wither. They have no roots that go
deep down into the soil to supply the plants with water. The plants shrivel up and die.
Whereas Matthew and Mark attribute the falling away to trouble and persecution, Luke
speaks of a "time of testing". When the time comes to take a stand whether during
trouble, persecution or extreme testing, the rocky soiled individual changes their mind
about the faith they once embraced with joy.
Kistemaker in his commentary on the Parables says one word describes them
"superficial". Shallow people lack conviction, courage, stability, and perseverance. They
are influenced by every wind of doctrine that blows their way. Because they lack depth,
their spiritual life is of passing significance. Many people fit this description. Their
shallow hearts are attracted to whatever is happening in the Church; they hear the
Gospel and seem to fit in. Many have even made a profession of faith. But some
difficulty comes, loss of job, misunderstanding with other Christians, sickness, marital
problems, children issues, death of a loved one, and just as suddenly as they once
seemed to embrace the faith, they fall away, because they were never really born again.
THE CROWDED SOIL/HEART: 13:7, 22
The seed sown among the thorns seems to have a better chance for growth and
development than that which was sown on shallow soil. At first, after a period of
germination, the plants begin to shoot out. In fact, by the spring of the year they look
quite promising and cannot be distinguished at all from the other plants. But when the
sun's heat gains strength and warms the earth, the roots of thorns and thistles come to
life. After a winter's rest they are ready for a new season (summer time), and in a
matter of weeks the thorns and thistles have overtaken the wheat plants in height. They
deprive them of moisture and soil nutrients and literally choke them to death. The sower
did not need to plant weeds, they come whether he wants them or not, they grow
naturally unless they are pulled up by the roots.
The crowded soil unlike the hard and shallow soil is good fertile moisture-retaining soil.
The only drawback is that the soil has other permanent residents, other roots. The
seed is forced to compete with other developing roots below the surface and with lush
thistles and thorns above the surface. In short, two types of plants are struggling for a
place in the sun, and the type whose roots were put down first is gaining the upper
hand.
The crowded heart or "strangled heart" as Boice puts it are people who lead a double
life-religion on Sunday (sometimes) and everything else during the week. These people
will soon discover that the "worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the
desires for other things" take over, so that their faith becomes worthless. What fools us
and them most of all is that they are not openly profane folks. They sometimes attend
to divine things; they have sporadic daily time with Christ. But, alas, they have but
made only a profession, they have received conviction only in the head regarding the
importance of salvation, but never having felt it in their heart. The message of the
gospel cannot flourish and bear fruit; instead, worldly interests choke it out. These
people have led a double life from the beginning. They have found security in riches,
possessions, activities, entertainment, and folly; they have purposely relegated faith
(the things of the Lord) to a secondary place. They are people who eventually reap a
harvest of thorns and thistles without a single grain of wheat. You see said one author:
"it is not enough to for the gardener to love flowers and fruit, he must also hate weeds.
THE FRUITFUL SOIL: 13:8, 23
The three different words used by the Synoptic writers paint the picture of the good soil.
Luke says the seed that is sown is held fast (retained, NIV), Mark says it is accepted,
and Matthew says it is understood. Luke describes this as a good and noble heart.
Who is this individual who has a good and noble heart? Matthew says he is the one
who hears the word and understands it. This is the man that James admonishes to be a
hearer and a doer of the Word. This individual hears, understands and obeys the word
of God because he has genuinely accepted it. The Word of God has unlike the hard
soil penetrated his heart. His whole being, his will, his intellect, and his emotions are all
radically changed by the Word. It takes over his life because it has grown deep beneath
the surface. It consumes him therefore it forces out all competition and rivalries, it
refuses to take second place and as a result it produces fruit, much, much fruit. Don't
you want to be someone who the Lord would raise up in 21st century America whose
life has been taken over by the Word of God?
CONCLUSION:
Let me close with several observations:
It has become the tendency of modern day readers of the Scripture to apply these
messages of Christ to Christians. However, please know that only one of the four soils
was genuinely saved and that was the Fruitful Soil. The main proof of a genuine heart
change is fruit-bearing. The real change that this parable obviously calls for is fruit-
bearing. Clear, distinguishable, fruit-bearing (13:23).
It was impossible for the hard heart to bear fruit because it cannot be penetrated. It
lacks understanding and has no real passion for understanding the Word of God. Can I
ask you this morning, how is your passion for knowing truth? What sacrifices do you
make to know truth? How about it, do you know the Scripture, do you want to know the
Scripture? The problem is not time management, the problem; the real problem is the
issue of a hard impenetrable heart. This word in Matthew says that such people have
no relationship they have nothing. It doesn't have to be that way. Hosea 10:12b says,
"Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes to rain
righteousness on you."
You say no problem with your knowledge of the Word. However you look around and
you don't see any fruit. Oh, you are familiar with the Scriptures and know some vital
doctrines of the faith, yet there is still no fruit. At the first sign of trouble or affliction and
you pick up your Bible and go home. Please don't cast aside the obvious challenge of
the Scripture.
I believe the most subtle of these soils and the most prominent among professing
Christians is the crowded soil/heart. You can tell by our schedules loved ones, you can
tell by our checkbooks. You can tell by our closets, our garages and sadly you can tell
by our conversation. You see for most of us the word is crowed out of our conversation
even before we hit the door after services.
Because he is not really hard, he understands the word, he is not really shallow
because he hangs around, yet he is just as unfruitful as the others not because he is
horrible soil but mainly because he is busy soil. The Word of God is on the plate with
everything else. It is not any less important than everything else and it is not any more
important either. At the end of the oh so busy day and when the busy days turn into
busy weeks and the weeks become months and the months turn into years, and the
tally has been taken, this kind of soil/heart has not borne any kingdom fruit.
I like the last soil don’t you? This type of person hears because he wants to hear. He
reflects on what he hears. So he reaches a measure of true understanding. He puts the
messages into practice and bears fruit: conversion, faith, love, joy, peace,
longsuffering. The importance of spiritual fruit-bearing as the mark of the true believer
is stressed throughout the Scriptures.
Psalm 1:1-3; 92:14; 104:13; Matthew 3:10; 7:17-20; 12:33-35; Luke 3:8; John 15;
Acts 2:38; 16:31; Romans 7:4; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 4:17;
Colossians 1:6; Hebrews 12:11; 13:15; James 3:17-18
Can I invite you to allow the word of God to penetrate your heart, be not satisfied till you
really understand it? Let it go deep loved ones, to the point where it is the priority in
your life. Where the pressures of life, the tests, the trials will not cause you to stray but
will draw you nearer. COME AND LET US TOGETHER DISCOVER THE JOY OF
DRINKING IN DEEPLY THE WORD OF GOD. LET US DISCOVER THE JOY, THE
EVERLASTING JOY, THE ULTIMATE SATISFACTION OF ETERNAL FRUIT BEARING.
Do you hear what it says?
“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the
word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold,
some sixty, and some thirty ... He who has ears let him hear. "
This is our salvation; this is our joy, our ultimate satisfaction. By God’s grace may it be
our Passion.
The first thing I would like for you to notice and pay close attention to is Jesus’
explanation for speaking in parables. This perhaps is one of the most arresting things
Jesus has ever said. His explanation took place in the private circle of His disciples.
Check out verses 10-16
Matthew 13:11-16
Did you notice in verse 11 that God is very selective regarding who He will allow to know
truth. Then notice that although God is sovereign and selecting, He is still holding man
responsible for his lack of attending to the Word of God, vv.14-15.
We must be breaking in on the gates of heaven earnestly pleading with God not to let
us be hearing, but not understanding, or seeing, but not perceiving. Lord do not let our
hearts become dull so that our ears do not work and we close our eyes.
The parables are given for those who have a passion for seeing, hearing, and
understanding. The parable of the sower is one of few parables found in all three
Synoptic Gospels. It is very interesting to see how Matthew leads into the parable
teachings of Jesus mainly the parable of the soils. Chapter 13 is preceded by an
account of the healing ministry of Jesus (chapters 8-9). At the conclusion of this
section, Matthew records that Jesus was teaching in the synagogues, preaching the
good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness (9:35). He
looked at the crowds and because they lacked spiritual guidance he had compassion
on them. "Then He said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are
few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field" (9:
37-38).
In chapter 10 Matthew records the sending out of the twelve disciples [prayer
answered]. He warns them that they would meet opposition, endure hatred, and face
loss of life. Chapter 10 ends with a discourse on the meaning of discipleship and the
rewards associated with it (vv. 24-42). This theme of costly discipleship continues into
the next two chapters and was illustrated by John the Baptist who was accused of being
a demon and Jesus Himself who was said to be a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend
of tax collectors and sinners.
The people in Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and America refused to repent and
believe His words. It seemed as if John and Jesus had been plowing on shallow ground,
and the seed they had sown had failed to produce a crop. However the final words of
chapter 12 make it plain that the kingdom of God had come and those people who do
the will of God are part and parcel of that kingdom. These are the ones who belong to
the family of Christ, i.e. His brother, sister, and mother (12:50).
It is at this point that Matthew introduces the parable of the sower. The gospel writer
has skillfully set the stage for the parable. His aim is to alert his readers to the
multiplicity of responses to the kingdom message and to the unexpected harvest that
will be gathered in God's kingdom. That makes this parable at once an encouragement
and a warning. What is your response to the kingdom message? This is the question
that begs an answer.
THE HARD IMPENETRABLE SOIL/HEART: 13:4, 19
This is the soil along the path. Such ground has been trampled down by the many feet
that have passed that way over scores of years. The seed falls upon the soil and just
lays there, it never sinks in. The Word of God reaches the heart of the individual, but
before the Word can have any effect at all, the evil one (Matthew), Satan (Mark), or the
devil (Luke), comes and snatches it away.
These are those that politely listen to the Gospel, but they are hearers only. The hard
heart has no understanding, no comprehension. There has been simply a mental and
verbal assent to a host of religious statements (Jesus in my heart, baptized, saved) but
no spiritual understanding of truth. No interest in learning truth, little effort, no passion,
no persistence. The message is not precious to them, because their hearts are as hard
as the footpath along the grain field.
THE SHALLOW SOIL/HEART: 13:5-6, 20-21
The seed on the rocky places appears to get an early start. The summer heat that was
trapped in the rock substratum is now gradually released in the colder months of
November and December. The green shoots spring up quickly, and while the rest of the
field is still barren, they make quite an impressive show. The trained eye of the farmer
sees the difference. He knows that the appearance of the green stalks of grain on the
rocky places is deceptive; when the rains have ceased, and the sun in the spring of the
year rises with
increasing heat (we have our seasons), the plants wither. They have no roots that go
deep down into the soil to supply the plants with water. The plants shrivel up and die.
Whereas Matthew and Mark attribute the falling away to trouble and persecution, Luke
speaks of a "time of testing". When the time comes to take a stand whether during
trouble, persecution or extreme testing, the rocky soiled individual changes their mind
about the faith they once embraced with joy.
Kistemaker in his commentary on the Parables says one word describes them
"superficial". Shallow people lack conviction, courage, stability, and perseverance. They
are influenced by every wind of doctrine that blows their way. Because they lack depth,
their spiritual life is of passing significance. Many people fit this description. Their
shallow hearts are attracted to whatever is happening in the Church; they hear the
Gospel and seem to fit in. Many have even made a profession of faith. But some
difficulty comes, loss of job, misunderstanding with other Christians, sickness, marital
problems, children issues, death of a loved one, and just as suddenly as they once
seemed to embrace the faith, they fall away, because they were never really born again.
THE CROWDED SOIL/HEART: 13:7, 22
The seed sown among the thorns seems to have a better chance for growth and
development than that which was sown on shallow soil. At first, after a period of
germination, the plants begin to shoot out. In fact, by the spring of the year they look
quite promising and cannot be distinguished at all from the other plants. But when the
sun's heat gains strength and warms the earth, the roots of thorns and thistles come to
life. After a winter's rest they are ready for a new season (summer time), and in a
matter of weeks the thorns and thistles have overtaken the wheat plants in height. They
deprive them of moisture and soil nutrients and literally choke them to death. The sower
did not need to plant weeds, they come whether he wants them or not, they grow
naturally unless they are pulled up by the roots.
The crowded soil unlike the hard and shallow soil is good fertile moisture-retaining soil.
The only drawback is that the soil has other permanent residents, other roots. The
seed is forced to compete with other developing roots below the surface and with lush
thistles and thorns above the surface. In short, two types of plants are struggling for a
place in the sun, and the type whose roots were put down first is gaining the upper
hand.
The crowded heart or "strangled heart" as Boice puts it are people who lead a double
life-religion on Sunday (sometimes) and everything else during the week. These people
will soon discover that the "worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the
desires for other things" take over, so that their faith becomes worthless. What fools us
and them most of all is that they are not openly profane folks. They sometimes attend
to divine things; they have sporadic daily time with Christ. But, alas, they have but
made only a profession, they have received conviction only in the head regarding the
importance of salvation, but never having felt it in their heart. The message of the
gospel cannot flourish and bear fruit; instead, worldly interests choke it out. These
people have led a double life from the beginning. They have found security in riches,
possessions, activities, entertainment, and folly; they have purposely relegated faith
(the things of the Lord) to a secondary place. They are people who eventually reap a
harvest of thorns and thistles without a single grain of wheat. You see said one author:
"it is not enough to for the gardener to love flowers and fruit, he must also hate weeds.
THE FRUITFUL SOIL: 13:8, 23
The three different words used by the Synoptic writers paint the picture of the good soil.
Luke says the seed that is sown is held fast (retained, NIV), Mark says it is accepted,
and Matthew says it is understood. Luke describes this as a good and noble heart.
Who is this individual who has a good and noble heart? Matthew says he is the one
who hears the word and understands it. This is the man that James admonishes to be a
hearer and a doer of the Word. This individual hears, understands and obeys the word
of God because he has genuinely accepted it. The Word of God has unlike the hard
soil penetrated his heart. His whole being, his will, his intellect, and his emotions are all
radically changed by the Word. It takes over his life because it has grown deep beneath
the surface. It consumes him therefore it forces out all competition and rivalries, it
refuses to take second place and as a result it produces fruit, much, much fruit. Don't
you want to be someone who the Lord would raise up in 21st century America whose
life has been taken over by the Word of God?
CONCLUSION:
Let me close with several observations:
It has become the tendency of modern day readers of the Scripture to apply these
messages of Christ to Christians. However, please know that only one of the four soils
was genuinely saved and that was the Fruitful Soil. The main proof of a genuine heart
change is fruit-bearing. The real change that this parable obviously calls for is fruit-
bearing. Clear, distinguishable, fruit-bearing (13:23).
It was impossible for the hard heart to bear fruit because it cannot be penetrated. It
lacks understanding and has no real passion for understanding the Word of God. Can I
ask you this morning, how is your passion for knowing truth? What sacrifices do you
make to know truth? How about it, do you know the Scripture, do you want to know the
Scripture? The problem is not time management, the problem; the real problem is the
issue of a hard impenetrable heart. This word in Matthew says that such people have
no relationship they have nothing. It doesn't have to be that way. Hosea 10:12b says,
"Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes to rain
righteousness on you."
You say no problem with your knowledge of the Word. However you look around and
you don't see any fruit. Oh, you are familiar with the Scriptures and know some vital
doctrines of the faith, yet there is still no fruit. At the first sign of trouble or affliction and
you pick up your Bible and go home. Please don't cast aside the obvious challenge of
the Scripture.
I believe the most subtle of these soils and the most prominent among professing
Christians is the crowded soil/heart. You can tell by our schedules loved ones, you can
tell by our checkbooks. You can tell by our closets, our garages and sadly you can tell
by our conversation. You see for most of us the word is crowed out of our conversation
even before we hit the door after services.
Because he is not really hard, he understands the word, he is not really shallow
because he hangs around, yet he is just as unfruitful as the others not because he is
horrible soil but mainly because he is busy soil. The Word of God is on the plate with
everything else. It is not any less important than everything else and it is not any more
important either. At the end of the oh so busy day and when the busy days turn into
busy weeks and the weeks become months and the months turn into years, and the
tally has been taken, this kind of soil/heart has not borne any kingdom fruit.
I like the last soil don’t you? This type of person hears because he wants to hear. He
reflects on what he hears. So he reaches a measure of true understanding. He puts the
messages into practice and bears fruit: conversion, faith, love, joy, peace,
longsuffering. The importance of spiritual fruit-bearing as the mark of the true believer
is stressed throughout the Scriptures.
Psalm 1:1-3; 92:14; 104:13; Matthew 3:10; 7:17-20; 12:33-35; Luke 3:8; John 15;
Acts 2:38; 16:31; Romans 7:4; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 4:17;
Colossians 1:6; Hebrews 12:11; 13:15; James 3:17-18
Can I invite you to allow the word of God to penetrate your heart, be not satisfied till you
really understand it? Let it go deep loved ones, to the point where it is the priority in
your life. Where the pressures of life, the tests, the trials will not cause you to stray but
will draw you nearer. COME AND LET US TOGETHER DISCOVER THE JOY OF
DRINKING IN DEEPLY THE WORD OF GOD. LET US DISCOVER THE JOY, THE
EVERLASTING JOY, THE ULTIMATE SATISFACTION OF ETERNAL FRUIT BEARING.
Do you hear what it says?
“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the
word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold,
some sixty, and some thirty ... He who has ears let him hear. "
This is our salvation; this is our joy, our ultimate satisfaction. By God’s grace may it be
our Passion.
| Sunday Morning, May 20, 2007 Sermon Outline RESPONDING to The KINGDOM MESSAGE Matthew 13:1-23 |
New Life Fellowship Church
Matthew 13:1-23
Matthew 13:1-23
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