Redeemer Church
Oct 11 Matt 13:1-23

      • Psalm 66:1–2ESV

  • Come, Behold the Wondrous Mystery

      • Acts 3:18–19ESV

      • Psalm 34:8ESV

  • Amazing Grace

      • Matthew 12:38–50ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 3:6ESV

      • Isaiah 55:11ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:18ESV

      • John 8:31ESV

      • Colossians 1:23ESV

      • Hebrews 3:14ESV

      • 1 Timothy 6:9ESV

      • John 6:44ESV

      • John 6:37ESV

  • Jesus Paid It All

      • 2 Thessalonians 3:18ESV

  • Intro

    Jesus has been proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom.
    “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” —Matthew 4:17
    Then Jesus demonstrated the authority of that kingdom through His teaching and miracles.
    He healed lepers.
    He healed Gentiles.
    He forgave sins.
    He confronted the religious leaders.
    He taught what true righteousness looks like.
    And yet, increasingly, Israel's leaders have rejected Him.
    In Ch 11, Jesus rebukes the cities that witnessed His miracles but refused to repent.
    In Ch 12, the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Satan.
    Then Jesus gives that terrifying warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
    And at the end of chapter 12, Jesus essentially redefines what it means to belong to His family:
    “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” —Matthew 12:50
    So now we arrive at chapter 13.
    And something changes.
    Jesus begins teaching through parables.
    That raises an obvious question:
    Why?
    Why doesn't Jesus simply make everything clear?
    Why does He start talking about seeds, soils, weeds, treasure, pearls, and nets?
    Matthew 13 answers that question.
    Before we read...I want to set the framework for this and the next several sermons.
    Read Matthew 13:1-23
    This is God’s word

    I. The Sower Scatters the Word Freely

    Matthew 13:1–9
    Jesus begins:
    “That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.”
    A huge crowd gathers.
    So large that Jesus gets into a boat and teaches from there.
    Then:
    “A sower went out to sow.”
    Notice something important.
    The sower doesn't seem terribly selective.
    He scatters the seed broadly.
    Some lands on the path.
    Some on rocky ground.
    Some among thorns.
    Some on good soil.
    The seed is scattered.
    And Jesus later tells us exactly what the seed represents:
    “The seed is the word of the kingdom.” —Matthew 13:19
    That's important.
    The seed is the Word.
    The gospel is the message of Christ the King.
    This should shape how we think about evangelism and preaching.
    Our responsibility is not to manufacture results.
    Our responsibility is to faithfully scatter the seed.
    I want us to take notice that the sower did not selectively scatter seed where he thought it would be best received.
    Raises a good question for us...
    How do we know what kind of soil someone is??
    We don’t!
    Can look at someone and think
    Would never believe
    they are hostile
    they have rejected before
    seem indifferent
    But you and I cannot see the heart like God can.
    Person who seems least receptive today...
    may be the one God saves tomorrow.
    Think of Paul...etc.
    It isn’t our responsibility to decide who is worthy
    or ready to hear and receive.
    We have to be faithful and scatter the seed
    Preach to our
    neighbors
    children
    coworkers
    strangers
    and we trust in God for the results
    Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6:
    1 Corinthians 3:6 ESV
    I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
    We preach.
    We teach.
    We evangelize.
    We disciple our children.
    We tell our neighbors.
    We proclaim Christ.
    And then we trust God with the harvest.
    Application
    This is encouraging for a preacher.
    You may preach a sermon and wonder:
    “Did anybody get anything out of that?”
    You may share the gospel with someone for years
    and see no apparent response.
    Parents may teach their children Scripture faithfully
    and wonder whether it is sinking in.
    But Jesus reminds us:
    Your job is faithfulness.
    God's is the harvest.
    Isaiah 55:11 ESV
    so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
    We don't need to manipulate people into the kingdom.
    We don't need gimmicks.
    We don't need to make the gospel more entertaining.
    We need to Scatter the seed.

    II. The Hardened Heart Rejects the Word

    Matthew 13:10–15, 18–19
    The first soil is the path.
    The birds come and eat the seed.
    Jesus explains in Vs 19
    says Satan snatches the Word away.
    This is spiritual warfare.
    Satan hates the preaching of the gospel
    because the gospel is God's power for salvation.
    Paul says:
    1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV
    For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
    The problem isn't that the Word lacks power.
    The problem is the hardened heart.
    Think about a well-worn path.
    Ecuador driveway/parking lot
    You can throw seed onto it all day.
    It's still not going to penetrate.
    And Jesus is describing people who hear the Word
    but remain hardened toward it.
    They hear:
    “Repent.”
    And they don't.
    They hear:
    “Believe in Christ.”
    And they don't.
    They hear:
    “You are a sinner who needs a Savior.”
    And they respond:
    “I'm basically a good person.”
    They hear the gospel,
    but it never penetrates.
    And here's the frightening part.
    These people can be around Christianity without ever being converted by Christ.
    They can
    attend church.
    know Bible stories.
    sing hymns.
    They can even agree with much of what is preached.
    And yet the Word never penetrates the heart.
    Jesus says Satan snatches it away.
    Cross Reference: James 1:22
    “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
    That's a terrifying possibility:
    hearing God's Word can actually become a means of deceiving yourself.
    So Don't merely ask:
    “Did I hear the sermon?”
    Ask:
    “Did God's Word penetrate my heart?”
    When Scripture confronts your sin,
    do you repent?
    When Scripture commands obedience,
    do you obey?
    When Scripture exposes your pride,
    do you humble yourself?
    When Scripture tells you to forgive,
    do you forgive?
    When Scripture tells you to trust Christ,
    do you trust Him?

    III. The Shallow Heart Receives the Word Without Roots

    Matthew 13:20–21
    The second soil looks much better initially.
    Fell on Rocky ground
    Not like gravel
    rock underneath thin layer of soil
    Jesus explains this one in vs 20
    Read 20
    This person hears the gospel.
    They receive it.
    They're excited.
    They may even appear converted.
    But Jesus says:
    “he has no root in himself, but endures for a while.”
    Then trouble comes.
    “When tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
    This is incredibly relevant.
    A profession of faith isn't necessarily proof of genuine faith.
    Jesus doesn't say this person never responded.
    He responded.
    He received the Word.
    He was joyful.
    But there was no root.
    This is why Jesus repeatedly teaches perseverance.
    John 8:31 ESV
    So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
    Colossians 1:23 ESV
    if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
    Hebrews 3:14 ESV
    For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
    The Bible doesn't teach that genuine Christians are saved because they persevere.
    Not teaching that it is possible to lose your salvation
    not even close
    **How arrogant do you have to be???...
    John MacArthur frequently said, “If you could lose your salvation, you would.”
    The Bible teaches that perseverance demonstrates genuine faith.
    Application
    This is especially important in the church.
    We should be careful about equating:
    Raised hand = conversion.
    Walking forward = conversion.
    Praying a prayer = conversion.
    Getting emotional = conversion.
    Having a Christian experience = conversion.
    The question is:
    Is there root?
    Does Christ remain precious
    when following Him becomes costly?
    What happens when Christianity costs you friends?
    What happens when obedience costs you comfort?
    What happens when biblical convictions make you unpopular?
    What happens when God doesn't answer your prayer the way you wanted?
    The shallow soil says:
    “I'll follow Jesus as long as it benefits me.”
    Rooted faith says:
    “Christ is worth following even when following Him costs me everything.”

    IV. The Distracted Heart Is Choked by the World

    Now we get to the third soil.
    among thorns
    This one is perhaps the most dangerous because the problem isn't obvious persecution.
    Jesus tells his disciples in vs 22
    Read 22
    Notice:
    The seed grows.
    But it doesn't produce fruit.
    The weeds gradually take over.
    And Jesus gives us two primary culprits:
    1. The cares of the world
    Anxiety.
    Busyness.
    Stress.
    Family concerns.
    Work.
    Money.
    Health.
    Politics.
    The endless noise of life.
    None of those things necessarily look sinful.
    That's what makes them dangerous.
    They don't have to destroy your faith through rebellion.
    They can simply crowd the Word out.
    2. The deceitfulness of riches
    Money promises what it cannot deliver.
    ***Expand on each***
    Security
    Comfort.
    Significance.
    Happiness.
    Control.
    But Jesus calls riches deceitful.
    They promise:
    “If you just have a little more,
    you'll finally be satisfied.”
    And you never are.
    Jesus has already warned us about this in Matthew 6:
    “You cannot serve God and money.”
    And Paul tells Timothy:
    1 Timothy 6:9 ESV
    But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
    So what?
    This is probably the soil most of us need to fear.
    Because you don't have to hate Jesus to neglect Him.
    You just have to become too busy for Him.
    You don't have to reject the Bible.
    You just have to stop opening it.
    You don't have to stop believing.
    You just have to become so consumed
    with work,
    sports,
    hobbies,
    money,
    entertainment,
    politics,
    and family activities
    that Christ gets whatever scraps of attention remain.
    And eventually the weeds win.
    A distracted heart can be just as spiritually deadly as a rebellious heart.

    V. The Fruitful Heart Receives the Word and Bears Fruit

    Finally:
    “As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it.”
    And then:
    “He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
    This is the genuine disciple.
    Notice the progression:
    He hears.
    He understands.
    He receives.
    He bears fruit.
    The evidence of genuine reception of the Word is fruit.
    Jesus isn't teaching that Christians all produce the exact same amount of fruit.
    Thirty.
    Sixty.
    A hundred.
    There are different levels of fruitfulness.
    But there is fruit.
    What does that fruit look like?
    Galatians 5:
    “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
    James 2 says genuine faith produces works.
    John 15 says abiding in Christ produces fruit.
    So here's a crucial question:
    Is there fruit in your life?
    Not perfection.
    Not sinlessness.
    Fruit.
    Are you becoming more like Christ?
    Do you love Christ more than you used to?
    Do you hate your sin more than you used to?
    Do you repent more quickly?
    Do you forgive easier?
    Do you love God's Word?
    Do you desire holiness?
    Do you care about the lost?
    Do you love God's people?
    Do you increasingly want to obey Christ?
    That's fruit.
    And fruit doesn't save you.
    Fruit demonstrates that the life of Christ is actually in you.

    VI. Why Does Jesus Speak in Parables?

    Matthew 13:10–17
    This section deserves attention because the disciples ask:
    “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
    Jesus answers:
    “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”
    Can I go deep here??
    This is where the doctrine of God's sovereign grace becomes unmistakable.
    Are we simply scattering the seed of God’s word hoping someone will respond?
    Is God doing all that he can to save people...
    but ultimately it depends on whether or not that person decides to believe?
    Church listen up:
    This is NOT the picture that Scripture gives us of God’s saving work.
    Look at vs 11.
    Jesus says:
    “For to the one who has, more will be given... but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
    Jesus doesn’t say that they discovered the Kingdom’s secrets because they were
    more wise
    more perceptive
    He says it was Given to them...
    A gift of God’s grace
    And then He quotes Isaiah 6:
    read the quote 14-16
    He uses Isaiah to show that the difference in hearing is bound up with God’s judgement
    on hardened unbelief
    and his grace to those who receive the truth
    We need to hold 2 truths together
    1. we truly are commanded to proclaim the Gospel
    and people really are responsible for how they respond.
    The gospel invite is genuine.
    we call all people everywhere to repent and believe
    We don’t know whom God will save.
    we aren’t permitted to withhold the gospel from some
    2. God is not sitting in Heaven on pins and needles hoping that someone will accept him using their will that he cannot change...
    Jesus says in John 6:44
    John 6:44 ESV
    No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
    and in John 6:37
    John 6:37 ESV
    All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
    You see the confidence in those words??
    God didn’t promise to give Jesus a people and then hope that they come...
    he says they WILL COME.
    God cannot fail, and his saving purpose cannot fail. Amen?
    God’s sovereignty isn’t a reason to stop evangelizing!
    It is the greatest reason TO Evangelize.
    If salvation ultimately depended on the human heart to accept God,
    there is reason to despair!
    our hearts are bent toward sin and we don’t desire God
    But God
    hard heart = Alive
    blind eyes = see
    ears that hear
    When we scatter the seed, sharing the Gospel of God’s kingdom
    aren’t conducting a spiritual experiment
    We are proclaiming the means God has ordained to accomplish his saving purposes.
    We preach because God commands it
    we preach because people need to hear
    preach because faith comes through hearing the Word of Christ
    we preach with confidence because God is ABLE to save
    Conclusion
    If we're honest, none of us should walk away thinking:
    “I need to try harder to become good soil.”
    Because the Bible teaches that apart from God's grace, our hearts are naturally hard.
    We don't naturally produce spiritual fruit.
    We need God to change us.
    The good news isn't:
    “Go make yourself into good soil.”
    The good news is:
    God changes hearts.
    Ezekiel 36:
    “I will give you a new heart.”
    The One speaking this parable is the One who is heading toward the cross.
    The One who will bear the curse for His people's sin.
    The One who will rise from the grave.
    The One who pours out His Spirit.
    And the Spirit takes the Word of Christ and makes spiritually dead people alive.
    So if you're sitting here and thinking:
    “My heart is hard.”
    Cry out to Christ.
    If you're thinking:
    “My faith has been shallow.”
    Cry out to Christ.
    If you're thinking:
    “The world has choked out my love for Jesus.”
    Cry out to Christ.
    Because the answer isn't simply:
    “Try harder.”
    The answer is:
    “Come to Christ.”
    He is the Savior who gives dead hearts life.
    The Word of God is being scattered freely,
    but our response to that Word reveals the condition of our hearts.
    Therefore, don't merely hear Christ's Word—
    receive it,
    persevere in it,
    and bear fruit for His kingdom.
    Communion
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