[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 21st of August, 2016. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel, http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Many of our Gospel accounts of Jesus are about the stories He told the people who gathered around Him. Jesus spent a lot of time healing people and that brought in the crowds, and allowed Him to teach them His New Way. But what He had to teach was so different from what they knew and had learned that Jesus needed to present His teachings in a simpler form for them. So He taught by telling parables, word pictures, using common ideas the people would be very familiar with and extending those concepts to illustrate what Jesus wanted them to understand.
Our scripture reading today is one such parable, but in it Jesus also explains His point in words we understand. Listen and follow along to the Parable of the Sower as told in Matthew’s Gospel account, chapter 13 verses 1 through 23, from the New Living Translation…
Our scripture reading today is one such parable, but in it Jesus also explains His point in words we understand. Listen and follow along to the Parable of the Sower as told in Matthew’s Gospel account, chapter 13 verses 1 through 23, from the New Living Translation…
1 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
--Matthew 13:1-23 (NLT)
Let us pray… Father God, You allow us to understand some of the secrets and mysteries of Your kingdom, while keeping others from us until revealing them in Your good time. So we still need You to teach us by painting pictures for us – images that we might see in our minds, parables that we might hear and understand. Please let us see, hear, and understand Your message this morning, Holy Father. In the blessed name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Little Tommy attended first grade Sunday School faithfully. He loved his teacher, Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith told great Bible stories, and she would always end the story by saying, "And, boys and girls, the moral of the story is...". Little Tommy enjoyed learning about the morals of each Bible story.
But when Tommy entered second grade, he moved up to another Sunday School class, taught by Mrs. Jones. She told Bible stories, too, but she never ended them by giving the moral of the story. After a few weeks Tommy's mom asked him how he liked his new Sunday School teacher. Tommy said, "Mrs. Jones is okay. The only problem is that she doesn't have any morals."
I'm glad Jesus' parables all have morals. And the moral of this particular story, in case you missed it, is that we should all be as good, rich soil, so that when the word of God falls on us, it will take root and flourish and yield an abundant crop far greater than what was sown: an abundant crop of other believers as we spread the word, the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus.
Sadly, I think some Christians miss the point. I think there are some Christians who spend the week sowing their wild oats, and then go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure.
As I mentioned to the kids earlier, in this parable, Jesus reminds us of the words God spoke through Isaiah shortly after calling him to be His prophet. Listen to what Isaiah wrote, in chapter 6 of his prophecy, verses 8 through 10…
Little Tommy attended first grade Sunday School faithfully. He loved his teacher, Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith told great Bible stories, and she would always end the story by saying, "And, boys and girls, the moral of the story is...". Little Tommy enjoyed learning about the morals of each Bible story.
But when Tommy entered second grade, he moved up to another Sunday School class, taught by Mrs. Jones. She told Bible stories, too, but she never ended them by giving the moral of the story. After a few weeks Tommy's mom asked him how he liked his new Sunday School teacher. Tommy said, "Mrs. Jones is okay. The only problem is that she doesn't have any morals."
I'm glad Jesus' parables all have morals. And the moral of this particular story, in case you missed it, is that we should all be as good, rich soil, so that when the word of God falls on us, it will take root and flourish and yield an abundant crop far greater than what was sown: an abundant crop of other believers as we spread the word, the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus.
Sadly, I think some Christians miss the point. I think there are some Christians who spend the week sowing their wild oats, and then go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure.
As I mentioned to the kids earlier, in this parable, Jesus reminds us of the words God spoke through Isaiah shortly after calling him to be His prophet. Listen to what Isaiah wrote, in chapter 6 of his prophecy, verses 8 through 10…
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.”
--Isaiah 6:8-10 (NKJV)
We are told that God loves us, all of us, and wants only the best for us. And that is very true indeed. But some people would have you believe that because God loves us all, He would never let anyone perish, no matter what.
Well family, this scripture from Isaiah and the words from Jesus’ own mouth tell us otherwise. Yes, God is love, but He is also holy. He is a God of love, and a God of justice. He gives all of us every chance in the world to turn from our sinful ways, believe in Jesus and be saved!
But there will come a day when our chances dry up. There will come a day when the God of justice says, “Enough!” There will come a day when man’s eyes will be shut to His truth. When man’s ears will be closed to His word. When man’s heart will be hardened and made unable to understand that our only key to salvation has stood right before us all this time! When we will no longer be able to return to God, to repent, and be healed.
This is the seed of the Sower. This is the word of God.
A good bit further on in his book of prophecy, in chapter 55, verses 10 and 11, Isaiah again speaks for God who says this…
Well family, this scripture from Isaiah and the words from Jesus’ own mouth tell us otherwise. Yes, God is love, but He is also holy. He is a God of love, and a God of justice. He gives all of us every chance in the world to turn from our sinful ways, believe in Jesus and be saved!
But there will come a day when our chances dry up. There will come a day when the God of justice says, “Enough!” There will come a day when man’s eyes will be shut to His truth. When man’s ears will be closed to His word. When man’s heart will be hardened and made unable to understand that our only key to salvation has stood right before us all this time! When we will no longer be able to return to God, to repent, and be healed.
This is the seed of the Sower. This is the word of God.
A good bit further on in his book of prophecy, in chapter 55, verses 10 and 11, Isaiah again speaks for God who says this…
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
--Isaiah 55:10-11 (NKJV)
Right now, there is still time to see, to hear, and to understand. For just as the rain and snow fall from heaven and don’t return there, but instead water the earth and allow it to flourish, so is the word of God. It goes forth from God’s mouth and does not return empty, instead accomplishing the work of our Father. God’s word will prosper in the task that He set it to do.
Do you remember how the Apostle John describes Jesus in the first 5 verses of the opening chapter of his Gospel account?…
Do you remember how the Apostle John describes Jesus in the first 5 verses of the opening chapter of his Gospel account?…
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
--John 1:1-5 (NKJV)
The Word of God, Jesus, indeed went into the world and accomplished what God had planned. The Word of God took our sins upon Himself and carried them to the tomb. The Word of God died for us so we could be saved. But even back then, there were people who would not see, who would not hear, who would not understand…
Jesus, the Word, is coming again. Are we prepared for His return? Are we good, fertile soil? Will God’s seed that is cast upon us receive plenty of light from the Son, or will we shade it? Will we nourish it and water it daily? Will it flourish, producing much fruit? And will we share that great harvest with those who may not yet understand?
My dear brothers and sisters, there is coming a time when those poor folks will no longer have a chance, no matter what we do or say. And that time is rapidly approaching! But we still have time. Look at how Jesus explained His parable.
Right now there are those who hear the word of God, but they don’t understand His message. That allows Satan to come and pluck their souls away, keeping them from redemption. How can we help them understand? How do we take the hardened ground of a footpath and turn it into good soil?
There are those who hear God’s message and accept it at once, and with great joy. But then, without further encouragement and fellowship, that joy quickly diminishes and they also fall prey to Satan’s temptations. How do we add good soil to that rocky ground?
There are those who hear the word of God, but then the world crushes in on them. Life can be overwhelming at times, and some folks simply can’t take it. All of the little “weeds” of life slowly crowd out the wonderful news of salvation through Jesus, choking out God’s word so it can no longer be heard. How do we pull out all the weeds?
There are those consumed by worries and cares. The big crises and the little dramas all take their toll, and the word of God falls on deaf ears. They stumble over their biggest fear: How could God possibly love me?!? How do we relieve someone’s anxiety?
How do we help those blinded by what the world sees as signs of prosperity and success and riches? How do we show them that things don’t matter? That only Jesus and building a good solid relationship with Him is all that matters!
How do we turn hardened, rocky, weed and thorn filled ground into good, rich soil, ready to accept and nurture the word of God? Slowly, lovingly, first tilling it and then adding in nutrients. Watering it regularly, tending it, cultivating it.
Maybe my parables aren’t quite as effective as Jesus’.
We begin with prayer, seeking our Father’s intervention, His help, for someone currently lost. We show them love - unconditional love, the love of Jesus - not condemnation or judgment. We offer help, whenever and however we can, and all without any expectation of reward or even thanks. When we get the chance, we tell them of how Jesus has touched our life, of how much He means to us. We tell our “before and after” story.
We make ourselves available for this person. When life starts crowding in on them again and the anxieties and fears build and grow, we hold their hand and calm their hearts. We do our best to ensure they don’t feel alone, that they can feel the constant presence of God. We encourage them, and fellowship with them. And did I mention we pray?
Eventually the ground softens, the seed takes root, the sun warms it, the rains water it, and it grows to produce even more fruit. This is the word of God, sent from His mouth, and it will not return empty. See, hear, and understand.
Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, thank You for helping us be good soil, for giving us Your Word that leads to our salvation. Father, we know there are many who fail to see, who turn a deaf ear, who refuse to understand. Thank You for sharing Your message with us, for giving us Your Word, Your Son, so that we might live.
Hear us now, Father, as we come to You with heads bowed in this quiet place. Please listen to our pleas, spoken silently from our hearts…
Lord Jesus, You are God’s Word, sent into a world of darkness to shed divine light over all. Yet some prefer the darkness. Some don’t want to give up their sinful ways. Some keep their eyes closed, their ears plugged, just so they can’t see or hear the truth. Lord Jesus, let us be Your fertile soil. Spread Your seed of truth, of God’s word, and let it grow within us so that it can produce fruit thirty, sixty, even a hundred times greater than what You planted. And help us cultivate others to receive God’s word.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, our Master, in whom we place all our trust, and all our hope. Amen.
Jesus, the Word, is coming again. Are we prepared for His return? Are we good, fertile soil? Will God’s seed that is cast upon us receive plenty of light from the Son, or will we shade it? Will we nourish it and water it daily? Will it flourish, producing much fruit? And will we share that great harvest with those who may not yet understand?
My dear brothers and sisters, there is coming a time when those poor folks will no longer have a chance, no matter what we do or say. And that time is rapidly approaching! But we still have time. Look at how Jesus explained His parable.
Right now there are those who hear the word of God, but they don’t understand His message. That allows Satan to come and pluck their souls away, keeping them from redemption. How can we help them understand? How do we take the hardened ground of a footpath and turn it into good soil?
There are those who hear God’s message and accept it at once, and with great joy. But then, without further encouragement and fellowship, that joy quickly diminishes and they also fall prey to Satan’s temptations. How do we add good soil to that rocky ground?
There are those who hear the word of God, but then the world crushes in on them. Life can be overwhelming at times, and some folks simply can’t take it. All of the little “weeds” of life slowly crowd out the wonderful news of salvation through Jesus, choking out God’s word so it can no longer be heard. How do we pull out all the weeds?
There are those consumed by worries and cares. The big crises and the little dramas all take their toll, and the word of God falls on deaf ears. They stumble over their biggest fear: How could God possibly love me?!? How do we relieve someone’s anxiety?
How do we help those blinded by what the world sees as signs of prosperity and success and riches? How do we show them that things don’t matter? That only Jesus and building a good solid relationship with Him is all that matters!
How do we turn hardened, rocky, weed and thorn filled ground into good, rich soil, ready to accept and nurture the word of God? Slowly, lovingly, first tilling it and then adding in nutrients. Watering it regularly, tending it, cultivating it.
Maybe my parables aren’t quite as effective as Jesus’.
We begin with prayer, seeking our Father’s intervention, His help, for someone currently lost. We show them love - unconditional love, the love of Jesus - not condemnation or judgment. We offer help, whenever and however we can, and all without any expectation of reward or even thanks. When we get the chance, we tell them of how Jesus has touched our life, of how much He means to us. We tell our “before and after” story.
We make ourselves available for this person. When life starts crowding in on them again and the anxieties and fears build and grow, we hold their hand and calm their hearts. We do our best to ensure they don’t feel alone, that they can feel the constant presence of God. We encourage them, and fellowship with them. And did I mention we pray?
Eventually the ground softens, the seed takes root, the sun warms it, the rains water it, and it grows to produce even more fruit. This is the word of God, sent from His mouth, and it will not return empty. See, hear, and understand.
Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, thank You for helping us be good soil, for giving us Your Word that leads to our salvation. Father, we know there are many who fail to see, who turn a deaf ear, who refuse to understand. Thank You for sharing Your message with us, for giving us Your Word, Your Son, so that we might live.
Hear us now, Father, as we come to You with heads bowed in this quiet place. Please listen to our pleas, spoken silently from our hearts…
Lord Jesus, You are God’s Word, sent into a world of darkness to shed divine light over all. Yet some prefer the darkness. Some don’t want to give up their sinful ways. Some keep their eyes closed, their ears plugged, just so they can’t see or hear the truth. Lord Jesus, let us be Your fertile soil. Spread Your seed of truth, of God’s word, and let it grow within us so that it can produce fruit thirty, sixty, even a hundred times greater than what You planted. And help us cultivate others to receive God’s word.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, our Master, in whom we place all our trust, and all our hope. Amen.
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