Parable #11… Matthew 13:3-23 …The Parable of the Sower…(also known as the Parable of the Four Soils)

And we find it inMatthew 13:3-9Mark 4:2-9; andLuke 8:4-8

Let’s read fromMatthew 13:3-23…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[a] 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 fulfils 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 withjoy. 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!”…1.When was the last time you “tuned out” a speaker?…2. Why would a farmer allow precious seed to land on the path, or rocks, or amongthorns? Is he an irresponsible farmer scattering seeds at random?…3. What happened to each group of seeds?…4. How did Jesus conclude his parable? What did he mean by that? (13:9)…5. How much of the parable did the people understand? How much did thedisciples understand? (13:9-10)…6. Why didn’t the people or the disciples understand this parable?…7. Did Jesus design his parables to have trick meanings, hidden meanings, or morethan one basic interpretation? Why do some listeners discover the truth in aparable and others do not?…8. Why do you suppose that this was among the first parables that Jesus told?…9. What kind of people today might be represented by the seed that fell on thepath? (13:19)…10. Why couldn’t those who received the word with joy stay faithful? (13:20-21)…11. What choked those who were represented by the seed that fell among thethorns? What other things (or people) might the thorns represent? (13:22)…12. Why is perseverance necessary for all who receive the Word? (Luke 8:15)

How long did it take for you to understand the gospel of Christ?…13. What kind of soil do you most resemble right now? …What worries ortemptations have hindered your growth as a Christian recently?…14. How could you listen more faithfully and intently to the voice of God? …Whatwill most help you be responsive to God in your study of the Bible?

…A Storytelling Commentary on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying:

“Listen! A ower went out to sow, and as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away.

Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Let anyone with ears listen!”

“Hear then the parable of the sewer.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is the seed that fellon the path.

As for the seed that fellon rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

Yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.

As for the seed that fell among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.

But as for the seed that fellon good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

This parable is a clear reflection of the context in which Jesus told his parables. He is talking to Galilean farmers who knew the practices and experiences of farming in Galilee.

This parable builds on their experiences of regularly sowing a lot of seed and not getting much yield from it. It is profoundly discouraging to see things come up only to have them die before they have reached maturity.

All people who work with gardens know this experience, but it was especially the case where there was lots of very thin soil. Jesus is building on that experience and using it as a parable for the kingdom of God.

It was true in Jesus’ day and it is true today, there is a lot of negative talk among people who are discouraged about the kingdom of God.

To those people there is basically no hope.

Since there’s no basis or reason for them to expect or hope for the fulfillment of the kingdom of God, people get discouraged and give up.

This parable is told to the people that are listening in such a way that they could understand and because they understand farming Jesus uses the example of a farmer by telling them about something what they already know and have experienced He said“You know what it’s like sowing seed. A sewer went out to sow and some fell on the path and the birds came and ate it.”

Jesus is inviting them to remember that experience. …The contrast is between the three kinds of seeds that yield nothing and the harvest of those that end up bearing fruit.

The incredible harvest Jesus is describing in this parable is a hundred to thirty fold.

In the Galilean context this was an absolutely inconceivable harvest. …In first century Galilee a good harvest would be around 15 fold and even 10 fold was acceptable. “Fold” refers to the relationship between the amount of seed that you would plant vs. the amount of harvest you would gather.

So, tenfoldmeans that you would sow one bushel and reap ten.

A hundred fold was a harvest beyond all conceivable expectations.

This exaggerated harvest is a sign that Jesus is not talking about grain harvests. His parable is a metaphor of the kingdom of God and of the great fruit of the kingdom of God.

Thirty fold was at least twice the yield of a normal harvest, even a good harvest in the Galilean context.

So, it is not just good news, it is great news about the promise of the kingdom of God. Jesus interprets this parable in relation to the experience of those who are telling the stories and those hearing the stories of the Kingdom of God.

He is describing the different ways of hearing.

Matthew describes it and expects his audience to pay attention to the way in which they are hearing the story and then after that examining themselves as to how they are hearing.

How are you hearing the Word? …And what is your response? …Is it shallow and without any real commitment?

Are you hearing the word and at the same time thinking about money and the troubles of getting along in the world, could that be distracting you?

What kind of seed are you?

For those who are teaching and proclaiming the Kingdom of God, this is about the experience of those who hear in such a way that they end up producing nothing.

For those who are hearing the Gospel, the parable is an invitation to examine themselvesby thinking about the various ways in which people actually hear.

You should ask yourself…“Am I hearing the way that I should be hearing?”

After you’ve listened, you should reflect on that what you’ve heard.

What kind of seed are you?

Are you depressed and certain that everything is going to hell anyway or optimistic and confident in the power of God.

The good news is that those who are good listeners will bear incredible fruit.

 

“What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sower?”…After presenting this parable to the multitude, Jesus interprets it for His disciples in:

Matthew 13:18-23Mark 4:13-20; andLuke 8:11-15.……The Parable of the Sewer concerns a sewer who scatters seed, which falls on four different types of ground.

The hard ground “by the way side” prevents the seed from sprouting at all, and the seed becomes nothing more than bird food.

The stony ground provides enough soil for the seeds to germinate and begin to grow, but because there is “no deepness of earth,” the plants do not take root and are soon withered in the sun.

The thorny ground allows the seed to grow, but the competing thorns choke the life out of the beneficial plants.

The good ground receives the seed and produces much fruit.……Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sewer highlights four different responses to the gospel.

The seed is “the word of the kingdom.”

The hard ground represents someone who is hardened by sin; he hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away, keeping the heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression.

The stony ground pictures a man who agrees and are delighted with the Word; however, his heart is not changed, and when trouble arises, his so-called faith quickly disappears.

The thorny ground depicts one who seems to receive the Word, but whose heart is full of riches, pleasures, and lusts; the things of this world takes up most of his time and attention away from the Word, and he ends up having no time for it.

The good ground portrays the one who hears, understands, and receives the Word—and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life.

The man represented by the “good ground” is the only one of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit Matthew 3:7-8

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize,[a] he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.…Matthew 7:15-20

15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 

17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 

18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 

19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.…

To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower:

“A person’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.”

A secondary lesson would be

“Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel.

Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.”

May our faith and our lives exemplify the “good soil” in the Parable of the Sower.…

Let’s take a look at another angle of this parable …Do you think that a person can believe in Jesus Christ and then some day leave the faith, even reject Jesus, and still be a Christian?

What does it mean that someone accepts or believes in Jesus Christ?

There is confusion today about the characteristics of a true Christian.

Let’s say:

“A person prayed to receive Jesus Christ when he was in his twenties.

He no longer attends church, but I just know that he is a Christian. Isn’t he?”

Jesus’ parable of the “Sewer and the Seed.”answers this question

As I said at the start of this study this is the eleventh parable but this was the first of Jesus’ kingdom parables.

It is foundational because it reveals the true identity of the citizens of the kingdom.

A Day In Jesus’ Life. The events of the last two studies and the preaching of the kingdom parables all occurred in one day of Jesus’ life. …It must have been a long day for Jesus. He must have been very tired and weary from His confrontation with the religious leaders. …At the end of the last study, Jesus’ family had just arrived.

Jesus leaves the house and sits down on the seashore of the Sea of Galilee. …Most likely His family followed Him and they had some time together. But His break from the people did not last long, as we discover in the first two versesMatthew 13. I did not read it at the beginning of this study …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.

Mark 4:1 adds that the crowd was very large, that’s why Jesus got into a boat and sat down, just as the Jewish rabbis did when they taught. …The large crowd stood on the beach in order to listen to Him. Then Jesus started presenting His parableof the Sower. …The gospel of Matthew says that Jesus presented many parables to the large crowd. Yet, the Holy Spirit only recorded a small number of them. …The ower and the seed is the most important and significant of all the parables even though it was plain and simple. …It was about a ower who scattered seed as he walked.

Some of the seed fell along his path,

Some fell beside the path or on rocks,

Some among thorns and thistles, among weeds, and

Some fell on good soil.

As expected, only the seed that fell on the good soil grew to produce a harvest.

That was the end of the parable. Jesus did not explain its meaning to the crowd.

Why Speak in Parables? 

Matthew and Mark tell us that as soon as Jesus and the twelve disciples were alone, the disciples asked,

“Why do you speak to the people in parables?”…Mark 4:10Matthew 13:10

The disciples did not understand why Jesus did not clearly explain the parables. …How were the people expected to understand the message of the parable? Jesus’ answer was direct and maybe shocking.Matthew 13:11…11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 

The disciples could know the meaning of the parable but not the crowds. …Mark 4:11 adds …“But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders,.”

In other words, those who are excluded from the kingdom, those who do not believe in Jesus Christ cannot know or understand the parable.

Why were they excluded? …The answer to the question is given in Jesus’ next statement.…Matthew 13:12-13…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.…

The first part of Jesus’ answer, Matthew 13:12, reveals that the crowd had a spiritual problem and that there is an established spiritual principle which grants more information to those who already have spiritual understanding and insight.

That is, those who are not part of God’s spiritual family will eventually lose what little spiritual understanding they do have. It is like those who work hard. Usually, the more you work, the more you obtain in this life. Those who do not work eventually have very little and may lose what little they do have.

In the spiritual realm, those who have a deeper relationship with God will grow even more. Those who do not have a relationship will become even further separated from God.

 

“What is the sinner’s prayer?”…Many people ask, “Is there a prayer I can pray that will guarantee my salvation?” It is important to remember that salvation is not received by reciting a prayer or uttering certain words. The Bible nowhere records a person’s receiving salvation by a prayer. Saying a prayer is not the biblical way of salvation.…The biblical method of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. …John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” …Salvation is gained by faith (Ephesians 2:8), …by receiving Jesus as Savior (John 1:12), …and by fully trusting Jesus alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), not by reciting a prayer

Again, though, it is crucially important that you do not base your salvation on having said a prayer.

Reciting a prayer cannot save you!

If you want to receive the salvation that is available through Jesus, place your faith in Him.

Fully trust His death as the sufficient sacrifice for your sins. Completely rely on Him alone as your Savior.

That is the biblical method of salvation.

If you have received Jesus as your Savior, by all means, say a prayer to God.

Tell God how thankful you are for Jesus.

Offer praise to God for His love and sacrifice.

Thank Jesus for dying for your sins and providing salvation for you.

That is the biblical connection between salvation and prayer.

Now, that does not mean prayer cannot be involved in receiving salvation. If you understand the gospel, believe it to be true, and have accepted Jesus as your salvation, it is good and appropriate to express that faith to God in prayer. Communicating with God through prayer can be a way to progress from accepting facts about Jesus to fully trusting in Him as Savior. Prayer can be connected to the act of placing your faith in Jesus alone for salvation.…People who pray to receive Christ but then continue in life with no apparent change, reverting again to the ways of the world with one foot in church. For one to pray and then go on in life without any hunger for spiritual truth and the things of God is cause for concern. …A false conversion occurs when a person (including a child) does not fully comprehend the basic truths leading to salvation. If people are led to recite a prayer to receive Christ before being led to see their own sinfulness and hopelessness in Romans 3:23, they will not see their need for Christ to save them in Romans 6:23. The single most notable parable about this truth is a story Jesus told about a sower who went forth to sow seed (God’s Word) in a field (representing lost humanity). All the people in the parable received the seed (God’s Word) gladly, but then soon fell away for diverse reasons. Only a few continued to feed themselves daily on the Word, allowing the seed to germinate and grow deeps roots in the soil of their heart until they were converted from sinner to saint (Matthew 13:3).……The sinner’s prayer is a prayer a person prays to God when you understand that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. …Saying a sinner’s prayer will not accomplish anything on its own. …A true sinner’s prayer only represents what you know, understand, and believe about your sinfulness and need for salvation.……The first aspect of a sinner’s prayer is understanding that we are all sinners.

Romans 3:10proclaims,

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.”

The Bible makes it clear that we have all sinned.

We are all sinners in need of mercy and forgiveness from God (Titus 3:5-7). …Because of our sin, we deserve eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). …The sinner’s prayer is a plea for grace instead of judgment. …It is a request for mercy instead of wrath.…The second aspect of a sinner’s prayer is knowing what God has done to remedy our lost and sinful condition.…God took on flesh and became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1,14). …Jesus taught us the truth about God and lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life (John 8:462Corinthians 5:21). …Jesus then died on the cross in our place, taking the punishment that we deserve (Romans 5:8). …Jesus rose from the dead to prove His victory over sin, death, and hell (Colossians 2:15; 1 Corinthians chapter 15). …Because of all of this, we can have our sins forgiven and be promised an eternal home in Heaven – if we will just place our faith in Jesus Christ. …All we have to do is believe that He died in our place and rose from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). …We can be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. …Ehesians 2:8declares, …“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”……Saying the sinner’s prayer is simply a way of declaring to God that you are relying on Jesus Christ as your Savior. …There are no “magical” words that result in salvation. …It is only faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection that can save us. If you understand that you are a sinner and in need of salvation through Jesus Christ, here is a sinner’s prayer you can pray to God: …

If there is someone in this chapel this morning who realises that I want Jesus in my heart, then please pray this prayer .

If you are fortunate to have had the opportunity and have prayed a similar prayer before then do it out loud for the sake of you brother or sister next to you who wishes to do so now.

 

If you realized this morning that you are not sure whether Jesus is in your life He is now passing here this morning, and who knows maybe it is the last time for one of you to get the chance to invite him into your heart, because you might not be here tomorrow for all we know. I extended this invitation to Ernie as well and he prayed this prayer barely two weeks ago

 

Rev 3:20“Listen this is Jesus talking I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into his house and eat with him, and he will eat with Me”

If Jesus is knocking on you door now and you realise that before today you were not 100% sure of your salvation and you realize that you

Need Him and want Him your my life .Then open the door of your heart and let He come in.

I can not open the door for you, that you must do yourself, Jesus will not force Himself into your heart, you must let Him in yourself

Now for that to happen you pray a simple prayer asking Jesus to do just that:

If you are fortunate to have had the opportunity and have prayed a similar prayer before then do it out loud for the sake of you brother or sister next to you who wishes to do so now.

 

Do not pray this prayer if you do not know why you are doing it.

The prayer only has purpose if you mean what you say and understand what you’re asking

If your wish is to cross the line of faith by asking Jesus to come into your life then pray this prayer out loud .

Oh Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner and I realize that without You I am lost I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin. I come now to lay my sins before You, I am so thankful that You love me so much, that You died on the cross for my sins, forgive me for what I am, but please wash me clean , You promised that if I open the door that You will come in . Lord Jesus I hear your knock, come into my heart and make me the person that you want me to be. Thank, You Jesus Amen.

I am trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe that His death and resurrection provided for my forgiveness. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, for saving me and forgiving me! …I ask you now Jesus to come into my life and make me the person that You want me to be …Amen!”……

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