Our passage: Matthew 13:1-8; 18-23 (OT Reading: 1 Kings 11:1).
GCW Sermon – Preacher: Ian Bayne, 15/12/2019.
The notes below were taken live during the sermon, and have been adapted for the website; they should not be considered an accurate transcript.
Introduction
The Kingdom of Heaven is not some remote or academic concept: it is both future and current. It’s here and real now: we have the privilege of fellowship with God now!
Last week we looked at the great similarities between the Laodicean church and our own (Revelation 3:14-22). Jesus offered them fellowship despite their lacklustre worship of Him, so there is hope for us all.
This theme is reiterated throughout the gospels. The kingdom parables are for our current times, written to the members of the kingdom: Christians today.
Explanation
Jesus’s parable will be familiar to many of us, telling of seeds scattered over different types of soil.
Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,
Matthew 13:5 ESV
The different seed types show the different types of believers.
1) Soil type 1: seeds falling on hard ground
Hard ground represents a hard heart; a lack of understanding.
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 what was sown along the path.
Matthew 13:19 ESV
An example of this is found in Acts:
And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship [28] and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. [29] And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” [30] So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” [31] And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Acts 8:27-31 ESV
How can we understand what we read in scripture unless people explain it to us? Lack of understanding can be either due to lack of knowledge, or a hardness of heart that blinds us to the truth. Sometimes we don’t understand because we don’t want to understand. This is because we know truth demands a response.
It’s therefore easy to tag Jesus as a spiritual add-on to our lives, rather than being at the centre, to avoid the response we know we must give.
2) Soil type 2: seeds falling on rocky ground
The rocky ground represents rials and persecution.
Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, [20] As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, [21] yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
Matthew 13:5,20-21 ESV
In rocky or stony ground we get quicker growth, because the shallow ground is warmer, but the plants struggle because there is no depth for their roots.
Sometimes the word of God strikes us, but we have no commitment. As we follow Jesus there are afflictions and persecutions. This is what tests the strength of our roots.
3) Soil type 3: seeds falling amongst thorns
The thorns represent the things of the world that distract us from the truth. A cluttered heart is worried about the things of the world.
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
Matthew 13:22 ESV
A cluttered heart worries about the “cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches” which “choke the word”. This means we will be “unfruitful”, not living according to Christ.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
1 Timothy 6:10 ESV
Riches themselves are not necessarily bad, but they provide a significant source of temptation. They are like a snake hidden in the grass.
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Luke 16:13 ESV
Weed creep is a problem, because weeds are native to our hearts. We’re born sinful and have to work at being good. Weeds creep up on us by occupying our attention and deceiving our affections.
They reduce our time to meet with God’s people and study his word. Riches cannot deliver peace, security, love or eternity?
They seem to offer us so much but deliver so little.
True riches and satisfaction are found by planting God in the soil of our heart.
As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Matthew 13:23 ESV
Application
1) Be careful
As a church we embrace the deity of Christ and the nature of God, but we are prone to have hard headlands in our hearts. In agriculture, these hard headlands are where the stock and tractors go up and down making paths. We also can have hard portions in our heart and need to make sure we plough these up to receive all of God’s Word.
2) Take care that we have good roots
We need a greater appreciation today of God’s grace to counter how deeply we are into sin. We’re worse than we think we are.
But no matter what mistakes have been made: God’s grace and forgiveness are big enough. Keeping this at the centre of our mind can help us battle temptation.
3) Avoid the weeds of the world
Well prepared land is productive land. We need to plough it deep to kill all the weeds. We need to maintain the land, continually weeding. Sometimes weeds are missed. Putting fertiliser on the garden also fertilises the weeds. Good soil will always be productive.
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