Alright. So this lesson is the "Kingdom Parables". This is lesson number six in that series. The
title is "The Parable of the Sower and the Seed". We'll be in Matthew Chapter 13. So when I began this series on the kingdom parables I
told you that there were 13 of Jesus's parables where he is describing the kingdom. Of these 13 kingdom parables, some were about cooking. The kingdom
was like leaven for example, that began small but had great
visible influence. Others were about fishing. The kingdom was like a net that captured
many fish which were then separated. The kingdom was like feasts. In one the kingdom was like a wedding feast where
you needed to be properly attired to remain and then also the kingdom was like a wedding
ceremony where you needed to be ready so that you could get in to the ceremony and not be left behind. And then some were about money. The
kingdom was like a pearl or a treasure that you would give everything up in order to possess. The kingdom was like a person who enables
his employees to invest his money and then rewards the ones who do
so faithfully and profitably. And then there was the one where Jesus
says the kingdom was like a king who was prepared to forgive a great
debt to one of his servants if that servant would show the same
type of mercy to others. So those are the ones that we've done so far. In our lesson today we're going to start the
final series of parables on the kingdom. The five parables that use agriculture
as a base for their stories. That's why we're
at the parable of the sower and the seed. Now they often refer to this
parable as the parable of the soils because it is not really about the sower
and it's not really about the seed. It's really about the different kinds
of soil that the sower puts his seed into. This parable appears in Matthew 13. Also in Mark Chapter 4 verses 1 to 12. And in Luke Chapter 8 verses 4 to 10. We're not going to do all three versions of it.
We will do the one that is in Matthew which is pretty comprehensive. It gives us all that information that we
need to study this parable. And the parable has three sections to it.
The first section is the parable itself, the story itself. The next part is an explanation of
why Jesus used this style of teaching. In other words, why did he use parables? An explanation from Jesus himself. So far I've explained to you why Jesus used them. Today we're going to
actually look at the explanation that Jesus gives. And then an
explanation of the parable itself. So this is not a personality or a story driven parable. It is based on a common observation that any
person could make then as well as now. The beauty of it is, you could be living in the year 2000 and you could be living in the
year 3000, it's the same story, so generic is it. So the parable itself. Let's understand something
that's taking place ahead of time, before the parable, because that
helps us to understand the context. So in chapter 12 verses 46 to 50 we read about the family of Jesus trying to get him
to go home with them. They're starting to say this guy is crazy. He's causing trouble. There's all kinds of turmoil around him. So his
family naturally, they go to him and say, you need to come home
and you need to rest. And so the next chapter, Chapter 13,
continues the story with what happened after he went home. And so in Chapter 13, verse one, we begin, "That day Jesus went out of the house and was
sitting by the sea." So the Lord apparently... it doesn't tell you
in chapter 12 that he did go home because in chapter 12 he says, "Well, who is my
brother, who is my sister". Right? "The ones that obey the Word of the Lord. Those
are my brothers and sisters." And then it just stops there. It doesn't tell us, "And so therefore he
went home with them to appease his mom, to calm everybody's nerves in his family" it doesn't say that. It
just picks up the story that he's at home now, in verse 1 chapter 13. So on that same day, He returns outside and He goes to the water's edge. So let's read verse 2. It says, "And large
crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was
standing on the beach." And so because He's crowded in He uses
the boat to push away from the shore and he's going to
use the boat like a floating stage. And he also uses it to sit down because in
those days the teachers sat in order to teach their students unlike today. In most
lecture halls or churches the teacher is standing in order to do that work. Also it's
pretty hard to teach people when they're right in front of you, when they're like two or three feet and they're pushing in and pressing on top of you.
So that's the reason for the boat itself. Verse 3 says, "And he spoke many
things to them in parables," So at this point he begins to tell them a parable. And as far as we know this
parable was the first one spoken by the Lord during his ministry. If you ever wondered, which is
the first parable? Well scholars believe this is the very first one that he spoke. And then we read the parable itself. He says, "Behold, the sower
went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the
birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not
have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.
But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root,
they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and
choked them out. And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop,
some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty." So the story
is simple enough. A sower, a farmer goes out to
sow wheat or barley, usually sown by hand, in Palestine, in
those days. The patch of land is not necessarily large. It has no fences and has a road either running along side of it or running
through the middle of it dividing it in some way. Some of the seeds fall on the pathway
and are eagerly eaten up by the birds. Not done on purpose, of course, simply seed that
lands there while you're throwing seed out. Some will kind of... if you're close to the pathway some of those seeds will fall on the pathway. Much of Palestine or much of that area is rocky and so much of the tilled soil has spots where the
rock is barely covered by the earth. So the heat of the rocks provide a good temperature for the soil
to germinate the seed but the soil doesn't contain enough
moisture to keep it alive in the hot sun. This is why plants take and grow quickly but they don't last in that area and that type of soil. Much of the soil has thorns, weeds, which are cut but soon grow back with the
crop and choke its growth. And then on the good soil, that soil
which has depth and moisture, properly weeded, the seed is sown and
it produces a harvest. Like any harvest, each grain sown
produces a variety of yield. That's why he said some 30, some 60. It's not a
judgment call it's just how it is. However, the seed that
falls on the good soil, whether it produces 30, 60, or 100, nevertheless, there is a harvest. In verse 9, he continues, He says, "He who
has ears, let him hear." So Jesus tells his hearers that
this simple story has a special meaning and if they try to
understand they may just grasp what He's trying to say to
them. Verse 10. "And the disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do
you speak to them in parables?' Now in Mark chapter 4:10,
Mark says that His followers, along with the Apostles, came
to Him for an explanation of the parable, along with the reason why
he taught this way. Why are you teaching this way? One of the
reasons why we believe this is the first time that he's kind of given a
parable. It isn't that Jesus invented parables. You know other writers, it was
a literary form, it was a story form that was used by others. And they're wondering
why are you, why are you doing this? You were teaching openly before.
Now you're using this device. Now if anyone tried to understand the
parable they would realize that they couldn't understand the parable without some help. Of the people who came to him were those who were
listening and hearing and searching for the answers and Jesus is not
going to disappoint them, but first is going to explain the reason
why he will teach in parables. And as I say, the fact that the question arose suggests that this was one of
the first time he used this device. So this will help the hearers understand not only this parable but all the other parables
that he will eventually teach. So the reason for the parables, so he's
given the parable, the Apostles and disciples come and ask him to explain
it to them. And why do you teach this way? Then in verses 11 to 17, He gives them the answer to the first
question why does he teach this way and he does so for a variety of reasons. First, the knowledge of the kingdom is a blessing. God is the one who reveals the
mysteries of His thoughts and His intentions. And through the parables
He can hide the meaning and the knowledge of the kingdom from those
He doesn't wish to have them. He doesn't want the ones who
are meaning to harm Jesus or to destroy His ministry, He doesn't want
to give them more ammunition than they already have. And He doesn't want to give the pearls to who? To the swine.
Usually meaning unbelievers, pagans. So in verse 11, Jesus answered them. "To you it has been granted to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted." I've often struggled with the idea.. does God play... because God doesn't play favorites. Right? God doesn't play favorites. But when it explains that about God it
also explains the idea that he does favor those who love
him and who obey Him. So he doesn't play favorites
with those who come to him, who want to know something, who want to
serve and obey him. All of those people who come to him he will treat them equally
they will be... they're open to all the blessings that he has. But
he plays favorites in the sense that if you're not a believer,
if you're opposed to him, well then you will not receive favored treatment. That's only in our society. We want to treat
everybody, the bank robbers and the heroes, we want to treat them the same way. But that's not the way it works in the kingdom. So the Apostles and disciples, they've been
granted the privilege to understand, to penetrate the mysteries of the
parable, that Jesus will explain in a moment. The scribes, the pharisees and those who follow them, along with
the unbelievers, they will not be permitted to understand. And the
reason for this, of course, is that they will not come to Jesus who is
the only one who can explain the parables and who is the central
figure or key to all the parables. If they want to understand using some other
method, they just will not be able to grasp what He's teaching because you've got
to believe He is who He says he is if you want insight. I take great
comfort... I read these... I read the Psalms sometimes that talk
about how God will take care of his own, that he'll protect his own. And I say sometimes extrapolate from that, that God
will take care of everybody. And I say, well, what about those guys and what about these guys? They're not being taken care of. Then I realize, wait a minute. He said He
will take care of his own. The followers of Jesus. And there's
no need to feel guilty about that. I don't feel guilty because God
is blessing me richly beyond anything that I deserve personally.
I don't feel guilty about that. Because the Lord has said to all those
who want to follow Him, who want to believe, that he'll bless you for that.
And I don't feel guilty if someone else who is not a believer, who
rejects God, isn't being blessed. I don't feel personal guilt because of that. Because God has told us, He'll reveal the mysteries. He'll open the windows of heaven. He promises eternal life to whom? To everybody? No. To those who
believe and obey him. Now we do have a responsibility. And what is
that responsibility? Well, to tell other people. Look, these blessings are open for you. The door of heaven is open for all those who believe
in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized. That's our responsibility. So in verse 12 He goes on and says,
For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an
abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away
from him." See what I'm saying? Who are the ones that have? The believers. And who are the ones that don't have?
All the nonbelievers. Those who doubt, those who reject. So those who have begun to see Jesus and
follow and listen to him and obey him they will receive more knowledge, more insight and eventually resurrection from the dead and eternal life. And those who have simply listened
to the parable and rejected Christ, will drift away from him,
eventually even forgetting the parable itself and
ultimately becoming his enemy. Verse 13, "Therefore I speak to them
in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and
while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." So for this reason, because some are
believing and some are disbelieving, Jesus is beginning to separate
the two by using parables. It's a sifting device. You know the wheat and the tares?
Well, we always have this idea. I'm generalizing here but bear with me, that the day of judgment comes and we're all
standing there and that's when the sifting is going to be done and we're there,
"I hope I'm going to make it, I hope He's going to call my name." And some people,
the sheep and the goats and they're always trying to figure where the goats are, on the left side, but is it left facing him or his left or is it my left? This sifting doesn't happen after. The sifting is happening now. Now the sifting. Now the fish are being separated. Now the believers and the unbelievers. What comes after is the judgment. That's what comes after, the judgment and
the reward, not the sifting. So when you say yes to Jesus and I'll
follow Lord and I'm doing the best I can Lord, please Lord help me with
my weaknesses and so on. You're being sifted. You're being
taken away and separated from those who disbelieve and those who reject and
those who are unfaithful. The sifting is happening while we live. And Jesus is kind of alluding to this idea right here with the parables. He said
I'm already starting to sift out. Not waiting till the end of the world when I
return. We're going to separate, I won't say the men from the boys,
but I'm going to separate the believers from the unbeliever. I'm going to do that
now. It'll be quite obvious. So for this reason, because some are
believing and some are disbelieving, as I say, Jesus starts to separate the two. Their disbelief meaning their hearing without understanding, their seeing without perceiving, will be made evident by Jesus's use of parables. Is that the only way he sifts? No. He has other ways of sifting. He says to
some, "come follow me" and some do come and follow him and others
like the rich young ruler, the cost is too high for him. And others he says, "come follow me and one says, "well, I got to go bury my father. I've got to take care of my business first." So some at his invitation just say, "no". And others at his invitation say, "well, maybe later on, maybe
when the time is right, maybe when I'm better disposed." That's a sifting moment. So the knowledge of the kingdom is a
blessing reserved for the believers and the disbelief and the disbelievers
rather are filtered out by use of the parables. And why is the knowledge of the kingdom a blessing? It's a blessing because we are
exposed to the reality of life. It's the kingdom that's the real
thing. The false thing is Hollywood. I use that term generically. That's the false thing. The movies, the system, the gossip, that's the world. That's the false
thing. Those are the lies. The truth is the kingdom of God. That's the
truth. How is it a blessing? We're being exposed to what is true, what is real. Secondly, we're still talking about
why use these, they're use was prophesied. Verse 14 and 15, It says, "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is
being fulfilled, which says, 'You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You
will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; for the heart of this
people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed
their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And
understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.'
This is the prophet Isaiah. Prophet Isaiah said that the people would
ultimately not believe because they had cultivated a disbelieving attitude. And it didn't happen all of a sudden. It didn't happen
in the two or three years of Jesus's ministry. This was decades, centuries, in the making. Generations of half
hearted worship, disobedience, rejection, and manipulation of God's
Word had produced a nation who were dull and unprepared spiritually for their Messiah. I don't know who said it. I didn't say it.
But I don't know who said it. But a wonderful saying that I've repeated often to my own children. Blessed is the man who is prepared when his time comes. Jesus had prepared these people for fifteen hundred years. He had prepared them and so few of them were ready when he finally arrived.
The same thing with us. The Lord visits us, if you wish, with an insight, an understanding, a challenge for service. Perhaps a challenge like a trial in
our life, whether it be illness or the death of a loved one or whatever.
We all have these challenges. Well, there challenges but they're also an
opportunity to demonstrate what is our faith made of. We're bumping along. Everything's gonna grooving long and then all of a
sudden the Lord takes us, whoops, dips us into the fire, whatever the fire is for you or me, then he holds us up to the light and he
examines what kind of faith that we have here. That's a visitation from God. The unbelievers, what do they see?
They only see the trial. They only want the trial to be over. And when the trial is over what do they have?
Well, nothing. Just the impact and effects of the trial.
The surgery, the loss whatever it is. But for the believer, same impact, the trial, the pain, the
sorrow, or whatever but there is something else. There is the knowledge that through
this fire, I came through this fire. And I still believe. The evil one or the evil thing that happened to
me may have destroyed my body in many ways, may have even
destroyed someone that I love, but did not destroy my faith. That kind of real life knowledge is a tremendous blessing because it makes us so
much stronger afterwards and a great comfort to know that God is in charge. That's not just a saying on a coffee cup. I mean it's great if you remind yourself. But that's not just
a cute saying on a coffee cup. That's what life is like in the kingdom of God. So what he was doing and the reason for it was not a surprise. It wasn't a last
minute thing. It was known and spoken beforehand by the prophets. If
they would have been ready, meaning if they would have been ready
because they understood God's word, they would have understood,
another reason to believe that this is the Messiah, because the prophets, our
prophets, said when the Messiah comes He's going to use this device to speak to the people. Now was that the only proof? No.
There were the miracles, there was the teaching itself. There was his life and so on. But that was one proof that any of them could have known had they known and believed their own scriptures. And we say, well, what's wrong with those guys? Man,
what's their deal? If I was there I would have taken care of business. But we have the words spoken to us. Doesn't it? Don't the Apostles tell us be ready? You never know when the end will come. Repent. Like I preached on Sunday repent
and be baptized because you never know How many people put it off and put
it off. Does it really say that? Should we really be baptized? So we tend to do the very same
thing as they did. And the New Testament tells us that their story, 1 Corinthians 10, I
believe, that their story, the story of the Jews, was written for our benefit. So that we can learn from what they
did right and from what they did wrong. And then thirdly, I'm kind of going off
on a few tangents here. Reasons for the parable,
the fullness of time had come. Verse 16 and 17, He says, "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears,
because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and
righteous men desire to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what
you hear and did not hear it." They were blessed because they were
living at a time when all of these things were about to be fulfilled. The patriarchs, the judges, the kings, the prophets,
even the angels, First Peter chapter 1 verse 12, Peter says,
even the angels long to look into these things. Even the
angels want to know what was the plan. How is it going to work
itself out? And they didn't know. They only saw the
shadows, the promises, the visions, of the coming Messiah. But
Jesus says they were blessed because they were living at a time when
these things were actually being fulfilled and they could
hear and see and touch and be taught by the Messiah himself.
Somebody is going to be alive when Jesus returns. What an experience that's going to be. It could be us. We don't know. Imagine that experience.
I think about that sometimes. Imagine that experience. We get a little rattled when there's an
earthquake here in Oklahoma, all of a sudden bang, the dishes rattle and it kind of... Whoa, what was that? That was
something that is very big. Can you imagine the end of the world?
Jesus, how big that is. That's not a tornado. We're amazed when
we see the lightning flash, here in Oklahoma, that flat country, we see wow, from the top
to the bottom. It's pretty spectacular stuff. But I imagine the Lord returns.
Imagine what you're saying to yourself. This is the end of the world. It's over.
I'm going to go into another dimension. Somebody is going to have that experience. He's saying to them, for hundreds
of years, your fore fathers, they wondered what will it be like when the
Messiah comes, when all these prophecies will be fulfilled. And lo and
behold Jesus is saying, you're the ones, you are alive at the
time that all these others hoped for. You are receiving these
blessings. And that's why I'm teaching in parables. Because you believe, you get to see. You have insight
into what is really really happening. All right. So then He goes on from 18 to 23, He's going to talk about the meaning. So he's given the
parable, he's explained why he's using parables, now the meaning. Jesus describes, remember I said this is not about the sower or the seed.
It's really about the soil. OK? So Jesus describes four kinds of
soil that receive the seed and how the seed fairs in each type of soil.
We learn that the soil is a person's heart, his attitude, feelings, beliefs, will. The seed is God's Word of the kingdom. The sower is Jesus himself.
The parable explains that a person's spiritual life or death or development is based on
how that person receives God's word into their heart. So let's look at the soils. The hard soil. He says,
"Hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom
and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away
what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom the seed was sown beside the road." So the side of the field, the pathway, the hard packed dirt,
the birds come and they take the seed away even as it's being sown. Now we see this happening with people don't we?
People who are full of disbelief and cynicism and skepticism. They have the hard heart of a sinful life. The birds are all the reasons and
excuses that Satan sends to prevent these people from believing. I see the hard path at funerals. When preaching a funeral, people are listening to the word.
You're talking about everybody dies and then there's a
judgment and a resurrection, and even though the dead body is right there in the room with all
of us, cannot be denied, people are looking at their watch, they're
checking their e-mail. I tell the congregation, whether it's Marty
or me or any other preacher, when I'm up there preaching,
you all see me, but I see you. I also see you checking your phones, talking
to each other, yakking about something else or whatever. And I see that at funerals sometimes. It's like I'm throwing the word out there
and I can see it just bouncing. It's just coming back to me. They think the word is not inspired or it's all exaggeration just to frighten people. Even some preachers don't believe in it.
People are saying, these are the excuses they make,
the hardness of their hearts. Christians are hypocrites. If I believe this will interfere with my favorite pastime,
which happens to be sinful. The net result is that the word
produces absolutely nothing except a faint recollection that it
landed on the conscious mind just for a moment before being snatched away. I mean I've done funerals were the person who died, they say they died of lung disease but what they actually died of was 50 years of smoking. And everybody knows it. And yet, especially when you're doing
like the burial, you're out at the cemetery and there's always a little service there, grave site, call it a grave site service and as soon as it's over, everybody breaks up, they've got the body in the ground
and everybody lights up. It's like come on people. So that's the hard soil. The
imagery of the birds picking up the seeds, Satan picking up the seeds, giving all kinds
of excuses not to believe, not to take a step. OK? The next soil is the rocky soil.
Verse 20. He says, "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this
is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has
no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or
persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away." So this is the layer of warm soil with hard rock underneath. This is the person
who receives, meaning he understands, and quickly shows a lot of promise in the word. We know the type, enthusiastic at first,
ready to join in, knows the plan, encourages other people to come to Christ. Plants need the sun and the heat to grow.
In the same way, Christians need the heat of trials and struggle to grow in Christ as well. So this person being referred to here, this person's hard heart is never dealt with and not seen at first. It could be basic sinfulness, pride, whatever it is. Anyways, when the word begins
to force this person to deal with their issues they immediately disappear. I remember at a gospel meeting where a young girl came forward and requested to be
baptized and she was young, she was 15 or 16, something like that, and we felt
that we needed to speak to her mother, she was a single mom I think, just to talk about this. And her mother was
interested as well. And so we had some Bible studies with both of them. They
were both interested, but in the end the mom refused to be baptized, refused to become a Christian. And I gently prodded her a little bit. Is there
a reason, a main reason why? Because it's the craziest reasons why people
won't be baptized. Sometimes people will hold off on being baptized
because they are embarrassed to get their hair wet in front of people. Sounds crazy. They love the Lord and this and that but if they're so shy, they're so embarrassed, that they... and when you tell them that you don't have to do that in front
of people it can just be me and you and your husband. We can just be your family.
Oh there's a relief there. So I ask this woman, is there a reason to be quite honest? I have a boyfriend and I
spend the weekend, every weekend with him. And I realize that if I become a
Christian that's going to have to change. And I don't want to change that.
We've got a good thing going. And I don't want to scare him away. And that was her
reason and she stuck with it and brought her daughter with her. So, yes, enthusiastic at first
about heaven and forgiveness and sin.
She was among Christians who acted properly and acted lovingly towards her. Yeah, I want a piece of that. That's better than my
life. That's better then the people I hang around with. Yes. Except when it came to giving up sin. Grew up very fast. The moment a little heat was applied fell
away, very quickly. The third one. I got to move here. The thorny soil. "And the one on whom seed was sown
among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and he deceitfulness of wealth choked the word, and it becomes unfruitful."
So here the plant dies but the death is slow, slow death,
unlike the seed in the rocky ground. It takes a while for the weeds and the
thorns to completely choke the good plant. Jesus describes the thorns in
this man's heart or soil, as being two in particular.
One, worry of the world. Each generation has its things to worry about. That's normal. This person in
the parable allows these worries to overcome his
life in the kingdom. Unfortunately, some people invest
more of their emotional energy and concern over worldly things
than concern and involvement in the kingdom. And then he talks about the deceitfulness of riches. The world and
its wealth and attractions seduce a person away again, from the kingdom.
We talk about Demas in the New Testament. And again, he is not saying that
these people are really terrible sinners, thieves, murderers, adulterers. No. They're just folks. But they just let
the worry of life just... And again it doesn't say the worry of life just takes them out like just in one shot. No, eventually it just extinguishes faith like a flame. It just extinguishes it.
The worry of the world. The rat race to get ahead. Many Christians they start
well at first and then they become distracted. And finally pulled completely
away from Christ. Why? Too busy, too stressed, too involved, too many problems, too much money, or too little
money, too many toys, too many bad habits, too many unbelieving friends. For these people the word has no impact, no
challenge, no authority, no comfort, no inspiration any more. And then he talks about the good soil. "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 hundred fold, some sixty, and some thirty." The good soil, the good heart is described
as being one that hears and understands, it hears
with the ears and the heart. Understands the primary and secondary
meaning of the parables. Ready to believe. And obey the words of Christ. So Jesus says this heart is going to
produce the harvest where each seed will produce differently. We're stronger in some parts of our spiritual life and service than in other
parts. That's what this is talking about. It's not a judgment. Some people say, oh I'm with 30 fold. I guess I'm not good enough. No. It's the idea that we have different gifts. So some have the ability, perhaps
the interest to teach, others have the ability to see to those who are ill
and who need help. Everybody has a different...
Everybody's responsible for everything, but not everybody
is good at everything. So thirty fold, sixty fold, that's how that works. So the important thing is that
unlike the other soils, there is a harvest and it is plentiful. All right. So let
me just summarize this little bit here. From this parable we glean several
more pieces of information for the puzzle. We said we're putting together a puzzle,
what is the kingdom? So first of all the kingdom is planted in the heart. This is where the growth and the perception of the
kingdom is, in a person's heart, his thoughts, his/her will, desire. Another piece, the kingdom is planted by the word
of God, by means of the word. Again, why do we have Wednesday Church? Why do we have Sunday night church? Why do we have Bible class? Why not just... everybody says communion is the most important thing. Why don't we just come at 11 o'clock, have a prayer, take communion,
have a closing prayer and go home. We'd be doing the most important thing, honoring Jesus, making a
witness of our faith. Yeah we would be doing that and sometimes isn't that what
we do? Sometimes we're traveling or work, we just have time to take communion. But when we do that, what are we not
doing? Well, we're not feeding on the word. The word is not being planted in
us. So if the word is planted in us once a week through the sermon,
that's good. But how about if the word is planted in us in the adult
Bible class and then... that's even better and Sunday night and Wednesday and
and my daily Bible reading. Yeah feed on the word all....
Listen. Whatever you sow into you, you will have a harvest. Look at it that way. Whatever you
sow into you that will produce a harvest eventually. Number three, the kingdom can be destroyed by total disbelief and
rejection or by refusal to persevere with Jesus or by too
great a concern over worldly matters and worldly riches. Like I said on Sunday again, if you don't believe that take a look around. If you've been here 10 years, bring your 10 year old directory
with you and go through the pictures. Yes, some brothers and sisters have
passed on. Yes, and some have moved somewhere, but a lot of those faces are
still around, still alive, still live near the quote building, but
they're not here anymore. So yes, the kingdom can be destroyed. Not
the kingdom of God on Earth. The Kingdom inside of me can be destroyed. Number four, the kingdom grows at
different rates and different people. Some mature quickly. And they bear much fruit. Others take a long
time to grow. Others are slow in progressing. All of which alters their ability to
give and serve and consequently affects the maturity. If you only became a Christian
when you were fifty seven years old then obviously... and you die when you're
70. Well you've had that much time to serve. Somebody else was
baptized at camp when they were 12 and then never look back, well that person has had a much longer time to
serve. So obviously he's going to have a greater, greater harvest. In the end there is always a
harvest however. And then number five, the kingdom can be missed. The Kingdom can be missed. It can remain unseen
by many people. When you try and try and explain and teach over
and over again don't feel bad if some people just don't get it or
they don't want to get it. Don't beat yourself up over that. Don't blame yourself. Jesus said that three of the four
soil's would not have a harvest. Have you ever thought of that? People rejected Jesus. The one who spoke
the parables and died for their sins so don't be disappointed if certain ones do
not hear and understand and respond to you, the sinner. Because they're still hard and rocky and thorny soils that exist in abundance today. Feel guilty if you don't share the word with
someone that could use it. But if you've shared it and lived it and they
still don't come around, that's on them. Not on you. All right so some more
ideas about the kingdom that we're putting together. We'll continue with these agriculture type of parables in the next lesson.
