1 00:00:04,037 --> 00:00:06,773 we're in Matthew 13 this morning. 2 00:00:06,773 --> 00:00:09,776 As we make our way very slowly 3 00:00:10,176 --> 00:00:12,746 through the gospel of Matthew. 4 00:00:12,746 --> 00:00:16,649 We spent three weeks in chapter 12. 5 00:00:16,683 --> 00:00:18,451 There was a lot there. 6 00:00:18,451 --> 00:00:21,021 And we're going to spend 7 00:00:21,021 --> 00:00:22,655 three weeks or so in 8 00:00:22,655 --> 00:00:25,658 Matthew chapter 13, because there's a lot here. 9 00:00:26,726 --> 00:00:29,729 Matthew 13 is, 10 00:00:31,331 --> 00:00:34,334 is full of seven different parables. 11 00:00:34,801 --> 00:00:37,771 Seven there are seven parables of Matthew 13, 12 00:00:38,505 --> 00:00:41,508 and I want to help you understand what a parable is. 13 00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:45,278 And what we're going to see in this first 14 00:00:45,278 --> 00:00:48,281 parable is going to give us the opportunity for two things. 15 00:00:49,215 --> 00:00:53,253 First, in verses one through 23, this is the first parable in Matthew 13, 16 00:00:54,220 --> 00:00:56,589 we're going to have the opportunity 17 00:00:56,589 --> 00:00:59,859 to gain the tools to assess our own hearts. 18 00:01:01,027 --> 00:01:02,228 That's the first thing we're going to gain. 19 00:01:02,228 --> 00:01:03,329 Do you understand that? 20 00:01:03,329 --> 00:01:06,733 Like we're going to be able to assess our own heart. 21 00:01:07,567 --> 00:01:11,171 But the second thing is we're going to understand now 22 00:01:12,672 --> 00:01:13,973 what's happening right 23 00:01:13,973 --> 00:01:17,110 now in the unseen reality. 24 00:01:17,777 --> 00:01:20,780 In response to the Scripture. 25 00:01:22,248 --> 00:01:25,251 Right now, there's something going on 26 00:01:25,685 --> 00:01:28,688 in your heart and in my heart. 27 00:01:30,390 --> 00:01:31,825 And we're going to see 28 00:01:31,825 --> 00:01:34,661 there's there's four reactions. 29 00:01:34,661 --> 00:01:37,530 There's four responses 30 00:01:37,530 --> 00:01:38,531 to God's Word. 31 00:01:38,531 --> 00:01:41,668 And every one of us is experiencing one of these four. 32 00:01:43,036 --> 00:01:45,138 And we're going to see that 33 00:01:45,138 --> 00:01:48,041 in Matthew 13 verses one through 23. 34 00:01:48,041 --> 00:01:50,043 That's helpful. 35 00:01:50,043 --> 00:01:52,078 It tells me what's going on in me. 36 00:01:52,078 --> 00:01:54,881 It helps me diagnose and assess my own heart. 37 00:01:54,881 --> 00:01:59,786 And it also enables me to know how to pray for those I love, 38 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,157 because the same thing is going in their hearts. 39 00:02:05,625 --> 00:02:08,628 And so Jesus tells these seven parables 40 00:02:08,628 --> 00:02:11,764 and what a parable is, we have to understand what it is a parable. 41 00:02:12,198 --> 00:02:16,803 Is it a parable means literally to throw beside something. 42 00:02:17,537 --> 00:02:20,140 It means to toss something beside something. 43 00:02:20,140 --> 00:02:25,445 And so a parable is a story set in real life experience. 44 00:02:25,712 --> 00:02:26,146 That's 45 00:02:27,213 --> 00:02:30,550 thrown beside a truth that's hard to understand, 46 00:02:30,550 --> 00:02:32,719 to give it better understanding. 47 00:02:32,719 --> 00:02:34,420 That's what a parable is. 48 00:02:34,420 --> 00:02:36,789 So when Jesus needs to tell some hard 49 00:02:36,789 --> 00:02:39,792 truth, that's kind of difficult to understand. 50 00:02:39,893 --> 00:02:41,227 He will take a story. 51 00:02:41,227 --> 00:02:45,798 He'll he'll tell a story from real life and throw it next to that. 52 00:02:46,366 --> 00:02:49,302 And by doing that, that's supposed 53 00:02:49,302 --> 00:02:52,338 to help the truth to be better understood. 54 00:02:52,338 --> 00:02:55,341 Do you follow? That's what a parable is. 55 00:02:55,508 --> 00:02:58,511 And so in Matthew 13 is going to tell seven of them. 56 00:03:00,513 --> 00:03:03,516 Just by way of introduction 57 00:03:03,616 --> 00:03:07,720 in in Matthew 13, they're seven parables. 58 00:03:08,154 --> 00:03:11,891 Parables two, three, four, five, six all begin 59 00:03:11,891 --> 00:03:15,762 with the kingdom of heaven is like this. 60 00:03:15,762 --> 00:03:16,863 First one we'll look at today. 61 00:03:16,863 --> 00:03:18,798 Jesus doesn't say that. 62 00:03:18,798 --> 00:03:22,535 So the the following six though he always says, the kingdom of heaven is like. 63 00:03:22,535 --> 00:03:25,939 And so what he's doing is explaining to us 64 00:03:26,072 --> 00:03:29,342 this difficult thing to understand about the kingdom of heaven. 65 00:03:29,676 --> 00:03:34,113 And so he throws parables, stories next to it to help us easier understand it. 66 00:03:34,113 --> 00:03:34,981 That's the point of this 67 00:03:36,816 --> 00:03:39,118 in Matthew. 68 00:03:39,118 --> 00:03:41,487 Jesus uses the words 69 00:03:41,487 --> 00:03:44,490 as Matthew records that the kingdom of heaven. 70 00:03:44,857 --> 00:03:47,360 Of the four Gospels, only three of them 71 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,396 have parables Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 72 00:03:50,430 --> 00:03:53,433 There's no parables of Jesus and the Gospel of John. 73 00:03:54,567 --> 00:03:56,603 In Matthew, 74 00:03:56,603 --> 00:04:00,106 Matthew records Jesus words as the kingdom of heaven. 75 00:04:01,007 --> 00:04:05,712 In Mark and Luke, those two authors recorded as the kingdom of God. 76 00:04:06,145 --> 00:04:08,281 There's not a lot of difference. 77 00:04:08,281 --> 00:04:09,082 There's some. 78 00:04:09,082 --> 00:04:12,785 Some reasons why they did that given like their perspective 79 00:04:12,852 --> 00:04:15,455 and what they're coming from and who they're writing to. 80 00:04:15,455 --> 00:04:17,257 But basically it's the same thing. 81 00:04:17,257 --> 00:04:20,760 And what it means is the rule and reign of God 82 00:04:21,127 --> 00:04:24,130 in this world and over our lives. 83 00:04:24,631 --> 00:04:28,468 So the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, is the rule and reign of God. 84 00:04:29,502 --> 00:04:30,003 And so 85 00:04:30,003 --> 00:04:33,873 there's a pretty profound, deep, huge topic. 86 00:04:34,374 --> 00:04:38,544 So Jesus is going to throw these stories next to it to help us understand it. 87 00:04:38,911 --> 00:04:39,812 Do you follow? 88 00:04:39,812 --> 00:04:42,181 Yes. That's what the parables are. 89 00:04:42,181 --> 00:04:45,184 And that's why Jesus uses them. 90 00:04:46,586 --> 00:04:47,954 This first parable 91 00:04:47,954 --> 00:04:50,957 that we'll look at today, verses one through 23, 92 00:04:51,324 --> 00:04:55,361 is about the universal reality for all people 93 00:04:56,162 --> 00:04:59,565 when it comes to Scripture, when it comes to truth, when it comes 94 00:04:59,565 --> 00:05:04,904 to the gospel, when it comes to to Christ, this is universally true for all people. 95 00:05:05,371 --> 00:05:08,041 And there's only four responses 96 00:05:08,041 --> 00:05:10,843 that every person 97 00:05:10,843 --> 00:05:12,178 fits in. 98 00:05:12,178 --> 00:05:15,181 That's this first parable and then the next three. 99 00:05:15,214 --> 00:05:18,217 So parables two, three and four 100 00:05:18,584 --> 00:05:21,587 have to do with the fact 101 00:05:22,322 --> 00:05:25,358 that there's in the kingdom of God 102 00:05:25,358 --> 00:05:29,862 or the church, there's righteous and evil mixed together. 103 00:05:30,997 --> 00:05:32,332 Okay. 104 00:05:32,332 --> 00:05:32,632 Yeah. 105 00:05:32,632 --> 00:05:35,568 Have you ever thought, why is that? 106 00:05:35,568 --> 00:05:36,602 Some people in the church. 107 00:05:36,602 --> 00:05:39,605 Why is it so bad? Anybody? 108 00:05:40,139 --> 00:05:42,542 Why are there such horrible people who call themselves Christians? 109 00:05:42,542 --> 00:05:43,609 Anybody? 110 00:05:43,609 --> 00:05:43,843 Yeah. 111 00:05:43,843 --> 00:05:46,412 Do you ever look in the mirror that's getting. 112 00:05:46,412 --> 00:05:47,113 And so. No. 113 00:05:47,113 --> 00:05:50,450 So so so Jesus is saying, listen, my kingdom 114 00:05:51,250 --> 00:05:54,020 and the church is going to be full 115 00:05:54,020 --> 00:05:57,990 of righteous people and evil people, and some of them, 116 00:05:57,990 --> 00:06:00,993 you're not really going to be able to tell the difference much at all. 117 00:06:01,728 --> 00:06:03,129 And he said, just leave them alone. 118 00:06:03,129 --> 00:06:04,731 Let me worry about them. 119 00:06:04,731 --> 00:06:06,933 That's parables two, three, four. 120 00:06:06,933 --> 00:06:09,402 Then parables five, six, seven. 121 00:06:09,402 --> 00:06:13,339 Are these parables that Jesus throws next to a truth, and the truth is this 122 00:06:14,841 --> 00:06:17,844 that God saw something in, 123 00:06:20,012 --> 00:06:22,982 evil, nasty world that was so valuable 124 00:06:23,449 --> 00:06:26,619 that he gave his son to redeem it and buy it. 125 00:06:28,087 --> 00:06:31,090 That's what parables five, six, seven are about. 126 00:06:31,157 --> 00:06:34,327 So overall kingdom rule and reign of God. 127 00:06:35,161 --> 00:06:38,431 And he's going to throw these parables next to these two truths 128 00:06:38,431 --> 00:06:39,665 to help us understand it better. 129 00:06:39,665 --> 00:06:41,300 So that's where we're headed. 130 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:43,803 That's what this is about. 131 00:06:43,803 --> 00:06:46,305 And so what I want to do is 132 00:06:46,305 --> 00:06:49,742 I want to read these first nine verses, 133 00:06:49,976 --> 00:06:53,045 and then we're just going to take it in chunks and we're going to talk about them. 134 00:06:53,045 --> 00:06:56,048 And, and some of this will be familiar to you. 135 00:06:56,983 --> 00:07:00,853 Some of it won't be, but let's just follow along here. 136 00:07:01,254 --> 00:07:04,257 First nine verses. 137 00:07:04,991 --> 00:07:06,259 Chapter 13, verse one. 138 00:07:06,259 --> 00:07:09,862 That same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea, 139 00:07:11,097 --> 00:07:13,032 and great crowds gathered around him, 140 00:07:13,032 --> 00:07:16,035 so that he got into a boat and sat down. 141 00:07:16,669 --> 00:07:20,706 And the whole crowd stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables. 142 00:07:20,706 --> 00:07:23,276 Seen a sower went out to sow. 143 00:07:24,310 --> 00:07:26,979 And as he showed, some seed fell on the path, 144 00:07:26,979 --> 00:07:28,981 and the birds came and devoured them. 145 00:07:28,981 --> 00:07:32,318 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, 146 00:07:32,318 --> 00:07:35,354 and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil. 147 00:07:35,588 --> 00:07:40,059 But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, 148 00:07:40,092 --> 00:07:41,427 they withered away. 149 00:07:41,427 --> 00:07:45,398 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 150 00:07:45,765 --> 00:07:50,837 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain some 100 fold, some 60, some 30. 151 00:07:51,304 --> 00:07:53,940 Who has ears to hear? Let them hear. 152 00:07:53,940 --> 00:07:56,342 So Jesus is 153 00:07:56,342 --> 00:07:56,876 prior. 154 00:07:56,876 --> 00:07:59,445 He's just talking to his his, his closest disciples. 155 00:07:59,445 --> 00:08:02,315 Now all these crowds come to hear him, 156 00:08:02,315 --> 00:08:05,184 and he sitting down and all these crowds show up is like, 157 00:08:05,184 --> 00:08:06,686 there's no way they're all going to hear me. 158 00:08:06,686 --> 00:08:11,190 So he gets in the boat, pushes out from the shore a little bit. Why? 159 00:08:11,390 --> 00:08:15,061 Because there's an acoustic element to water around him. 160 00:08:15,061 --> 00:08:18,531 So it helps him, helps it helps the volume so everybody can hear. 161 00:08:19,065 --> 00:08:20,933 And the Bible says here he sits down in the boat 162 00:08:20,933 --> 00:08:22,368 and everybody stands on the seashore. 163 00:08:22,368 --> 00:08:26,239 Just a just a little caveat for you has nothing to do with the message. 164 00:08:26,606 --> 00:08:30,843 But I just want to let you know that this position of Jesus sitting 165 00:08:30,843 --> 00:08:33,913 while he teaches is the position of a rabbi. 166 00:08:33,913 --> 00:08:38,117 In the first century Jerusalem, they sat while they taught, they would stand 167 00:08:38,117 --> 00:08:41,420 when they would preach and proclaim, but they would sit when they would teach. 168 00:08:41,921 --> 00:08:44,924 And so this is just the reason why I sit. 169 00:08:44,991 --> 00:08:47,894 It's just my like, tip of the hat 170 00:08:47,894 --> 00:08:52,532 to the first century rabbis and how it was done. 171 00:08:53,132 --> 00:08:57,937 When I preach and proclaim, it's a lot of what Easter was, I was standing. 172 00:08:58,538 --> 00:09:04,277 And so my time to teach this church is, you know, I'm we're going to teach. 173 00:09:04,277 --> 00:09:05,678 I'm going to teach. Okay. 174 00:09:05,678 --> 00:09:10,550 So this this is the context that the people are in with Jesus in this boat. 175 00:09:10,550 --> 00:09:15,288 Just pushed out from shore a little bit to better understand the parables. 176 00:09:15,288 --> 00:09:17,790 There's this there's this role of interpretation. 177 00:09:17,790 --> 00:09:18,691 I want to teach you. 178 00:09:19,859 --> 00:09:22,862 And it's called the exegetical constancy. 179 00:09:23,396 --> 00:09:24,830 Exegetical constancy. 180 00:09:24,830 --> 00:09:28,167 Everybody say exegetical exegetical constancy. 181 00:09:28,868 --> 00:09:31,404 This is really important to understand. 182 00:09:31,404 --> 00:09:35,775 When we look at things like the parables, what it means is this. 183 00:09:36,842 --> 00:09:39,078 What something means over and over 184 00:09:39,078 --> 00:09:42,081 and over never changes, no matter how it used. 185 00:09:43,849 --> 00:09:45,217 Like, 186 00:09:45,217 --> 00:09:47,119 for instance, the birds. 187 00:09:47,119 --> 00:09:50,122 Birds here in this parable, the birds came and took the soil. 188 00:09:50,423 --> 00:09:52,925 Birds throughout Scripture are in 189 00:09:52,925 --> 00:09:55,928 this instance are always evil. 190 00:09:56,162 --> 00:09:57,997 Bad bird, bad bird, bad bird. 191 00:09:57,997 --> 00:10:00,399 It is all of a sudden turn to a good bird. 192 00:10:00,399 --> 00:10:02,635 Do you understand? 193 00:10:02,635 --> 00:10:05,271 And so when you just look at the idea 194 00:10:05,271 --> 00:10:08,274 of birds in scripture, typically these birds, these ravens. 195 00:10:10,443 --> 00:10:11,310 Were, 196 00:10:11,310 --> 00:10:14,280 it's always evil all throughout Scripture. 197 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:16,115 It never changes. 198 00:10:16,115 --> 00:10:18,451 Doves are always good. 199 00:10:18,451 --> 00:10:21,454 They're always a sign of the peace of God in the Holy Spirit. 200 00:10:22,021 --> 00:10:23,623 You understand? 201 00:10:23,623 --> 00:10:25,891 A dove is never used in a bad content, 202 00:10:25,891 --> 00:10:29,128 evil context in Scripture, exegetical constancy. 203 00:10:30,096 --> 00:10:31,230 Okay, so 204 00:10:31,230 --> 00:10:34,533 usually when birds are used, it's always evil. 205 00:10:35,868 --> 00:10:37,136 Same thing with seed. 206 00:10:37,136 --> 00:10:40,139 When the seed is used, this is the word of God. 207 00:10:40,139 --> 00:10:41,407 It's always the Word of God. 208 00:10:41,407 --> 00:10:44,644 Whenever the farmers planting seed, it's always the Word of God. 209 00:10:44,644 --> 00:10:47,680 It never means anything other than that exegetical constancy. 210 00:10:48,481 --> 00:10:50,950 The world or the field. 211 00:10:50,950 --> 00:10:55,721 Okay, the field is always the world, or humanity always. 212 00:10:56,322 --> 00:10:59,659 And that's really important to understand as we go through these parables, 213 00:10:59,892 --> 00:11:03,763 because Jesus is going to throw out these stories next to real life. 214 00:11:03,763 --> 00:11:05,331 They're real life experience. 215 00:11:05,331 --> 00:11:09,168 Unless we understand what some of these things always mean, 216 00:11:09,168 --> 00:11:12,171 and we're going to get confused on the point of it. 217 00:11:13,673 --> 00:11:15,841 And I don't want you to be confused. 218 00:11:15,841 --> 00:11:19,111 So this idea of exegetical constancy is really important when it comes to 219 00:11:19,345 --> 00:11:20,913 interpreting Scripture. 220 00:11:25,251 --> 00:11:26,585 And so 221 00:11:26,585 --> 00:11:29,588 that that's the like he tells the parable of the sower. 222 00:11:34,126 --> 00:11:37,129 Let me say this. 223 00:11:37,863 --> 00:11:40,866 It's important to understand, 224 00:11:41,901 --> 00:11:44,770 the idea of sowing 225 00:11:44,770 --> 00:11:47,106 now, the idea of sowing in Scripture as a farm. 226 00:11:47,106 --> 00:11:50,109 From farmer's perspective, that's the idea of planting seeds. 227 00:11:50,810 --> 00:11:53,412 And so Jesus tells this parable 228 00:11:53,412 --> 00:11:56,549 to help people understand what the kingdom of God is like. 229 00:11:57,183 --> 00:12:00,319 And he says, A sower goes out and throws out seed. 230 00:12:00,753 --> 00:12:01,721 Now, they didn't 231 00:12:01,721 --> 00:12:06,492 they didn't do farming in their day like we do in our day, in our day. 232 00:12:06,492 --> 00:12:08,427 But what we do would prepare the soil. 233 00:12:08,427 --> 00:12:10,262 We would make sure it's full of nutrients. 234 00:12:10,262 --> 00:12:13,099 We would plow it all. We'd make sure the seeds are planted. 235 00:12:13,099 --> 00:12:14,467 We covering water? Not. 236 00:12:14,467 --> 00:12:16,802 That's not how it worked back then. 237 00:12:16,802 --> 00:12:20,072 Back then when a sower, a farmer, went out to plant seed, 238 00:12:20,239 --> 00:12:23,142 he had a big seed bag and he had really good seed 239 00:12:23,142 --> 00:12:26,612 and he would just throw the seed out on the ground, just throw it everywhere. 240 00:12:26,846 --> 00:12:28,681 Just everywhere. 241 00:12:28,681 --> 00:12:31,851 And it would fall on all four different types of soil. 242 00:12:32,618 --> 00:12:34,920 And then after they threw the seed out, then 243 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,124 they would go in till and mix the seed into the soil. 244 00:12:39,225 --> 00:12:40,326 And so that's how it was. 245 00:12:40,326 --> 00:12:44,897 So this farmer's not being negligent with his resources, not being wasteful. 246 00:12:45,197 --> 00:12:47,133 That's just how they did it. 247 00:12:47,133 --> 00:12:52,204 And as a result, that good seed fell on a lot of different soils. 248 00:12:52,204 --> 00:12:53,973 Do you follow okay. 249 00:12:53,973 --> 00:12:56,509 So that that's his teaching and that's it. 250 00:12:56,509 --> 00:12:58,611 He's done teaching. 251 00:12:58,611 --> 00:13:01,947 And then the disciples come to him, 252 00:13:02,882 --> 00:13:05,017 verse ten. 253 00:13:05,017 --> 00:13:08,254 The disciples came to him, said, why do you speak to them in parables? 254 00:13:08,420 --> 00:13:11,423 He's like, okay, we 255 00:13:11,590 --> 00:13:14,226 so so here's, here's the big idea. 256 00:13:14,226 --> 00:13:16,195 I don't want you to miss this. 257 00:13:16,195 --> 00:13:19,398 God isn't the variable in this parable. 258 00:13:19,398 --> 00:13:21,700 My heart is. 259 00:13:21,700 --> 00:13:24,303 The seed is not the variable. 260 00:13:24,303 --> 00:13:25,504 The seed is constant. 261 00:13:25,504 --> 00:13:27,406 The seed is good. 262 00:13:27,406 --> 00:13:29,441 What is what? What? 263 00:13:29,441 --> 00:13:33,412 The variable of the produce is not to come from the seed. 264 00:13:34,413 --> 00:13:36,582 It comes from the soil. 265 00:13:36,582 --> 00:13:37,817 Do you understand? 266 00:13:37,817 --> 00:13:39,485 Comes from my heart. 267 00:13:39,485 --> 00:13:42,488 And so in essence, the disciples were like, look, 268 00:13:42,621 --> 00:13:45,791 if that's the point, why don't you just say it like that? 269 00:13:47,059 --> 00:13:49,395 Now? My imagination, 270 00:13:49,395 --> 00:13:52,898 I imagine these disciples, they're sitting with you. 271 00:13:52,898 --> 00:13:54,700 They're hearing them teach. All these people are around. 272 00:13:54,700 --> 00:13:56,936 They don't want to look like they don't get it. 273 00:13:56,936 --> 00:13:58,938 And so like, oh yeah. Yeah. No. 274 00:13:58,938 --> 00:14:01,941 Right on. Yeah. Preach that. Yeah, yeah. 275 00:14:01,941 --> 00:14:04,443 We've been with them a long time. We get it. Yeah. 276 00:14:04,443 --> 00:14:07,112 And then when nobody's around. 277 00:14:07,112 --> 00:14:09,782 Hey, let me ask you this. 278 00:14:09,782 --> 00:14:12,785 What are you talking about? Right. Like. 279 00:14:12,785 --> 00:14:15,888 And so they come and they're like, why do you why do you speak in pairs? 280 00:14:15,955 --> 00:14:17,056 Now look at what he says, 281 00:14:18,057 --> 00:14:19,024 verse 11. 282 00:14:19,024 --> 00:14:21,026 And then he answered them to you. 283 00:14:21,026 --> 00:14:22,628 It has been given to know 284 00:14:22,628 --> 00:14:25,898 the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it's not been given. 285 00:14:26,765 --> 00:14:29,335 For to the one who has more will be given. 286 00:14:29,335 --> 00:14:32,271 And he who has, and he will have an abundance. 287 00:14:32,271 --> 00:14:36,041 But from the one who has not even what he has will be taken away. 288 00:14:36,542 --> 00:14:39,445 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seen 289 00:14:39,445 --> 00:14:43,349 they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 290 00:14:43,382 --> 00:14:44,817 Pay attention to that word, understand. 291 00:14:44,817 --> 00:14:47,052 We're going to come back to it, 292 00:14:47,052 --> 00:14:50,022 and really get some understanding. 293 00:14:51,190 --> 00:14:53,559 But that was important 294 00:14:53,559 --> 00:14:54,193 indeed. 295 00:14:54,193 --> 00:14:57,429 In their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says, 296 00:14:57,429 --> 00:15:00,499 Now Isaiah, he had some tough words for people. 297 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,403 And so Jesus is drawing on all this Old Testament history, this Old Testament 298 00:15:04,403 --> 00:15:06,639 prophet Isaiah. He said, let me tell you 299 00:15:07,606 --> 00:15:09,208 what Isaiah was talking about, 300 00:15:09,208 --> 00:15:11,610 because it's coming to fruition right now in your midst. 301 00:15:11,610 --> 00:15:14,513 And look at what I say. This is brutal. 302 00:15:14,513 --> 00:15:18,150 You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see, 303 00:15:18,150 --> 00:15:19,485 but never perceive. 304 00:15:19,485 --> 00:15:22,021 For this people's heart has grown dull, 305 00:15:22,021 --> 00:15:25,591 and with their eyes they can barely, or with their ears they can barely hear. 306 00:15:25,791 --> 00:15:28,794 And their eyes they have closed, 307 00:15:29,228 --> 00:15:31,230 lest they should see with their eyes, 308 00:15:31,230 --> 00:15:35,067 and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn. 309 00:15:35,367 --> 00:15:38,237 And I would heal them well. 310 00:15:38,237 --> 00:15:42,541 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears for they hear. 311 00:15:42,541 --> 00:15:46,979 For truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous people long to see what you see 312 00:15:47,112 --> 00:15:51,717 and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. 313 00:15:51,717 --> 00:15:54,186 So just as listen, this is why I'm talking in parables, 314 00:15:55,554 --> 00:15:59,191 because they are not going to understand it. 315 00:16:00,459 --> 00:16:02,828 Now that sounds really harsh, 316 00:16:02,828 --> 00:16:06,332 but given what he's just said in Matthew 12, verses 317 00:16:06,332 --> 00:16:09,969 41 and 42, and what he said was this if you don't remember from last week, 318 00:16:11,236 --> 00:16:13,238 he said, those 319 00:16:13,238 --> 00:16:16,642 who know and understand and refuse to repent 320 00:16:17,076 --> 00:16:20,946 come under more severe judgment than those who don't understand and don't repent. 321 00:16:21,013 --> 00:16:24,350 Both will be judged, but the one who has understanding 322 00:16:24,717 --> 00:16:27,286 and refuses to repent, more severe judgment. 323 00:16:27,286 --> 00:16:30,322 So what Jesus is saying is, listen, they don't get it. 324 00:16:30,956 --> 00:16:34,860 And rather than give them more light for them to reject 325 00:16:35,060 --> 00:16:38,063 and have more severe judgment. 326 00:16:39,331 --> 00:16:42,301 I'm going to say it in a way where they're not responsible. 327 00:16:42,901 --> 00:16:45,604 That's pretty merciful in it, 328 00:16:45,604 --> 00:16:47,139 Yeah. You're not being mean. 329 00:16:50,175 --> 00:16:51,410 And so he says, 330 00:16:51,410 --> 00:16:55,981 this is why he said some of them they hear, but they don't hear. 331 00:16:56,949 --> 00:16:59,952 They see, but they don't see. 332 00:17:01,053 --> 00:17:02,454 Nor do they understand 333 00:17:02,454 --> 00:17:05,457 that word understand is really important. 334 00:17:05,891 --> 00:17:08,727 And one of the things that that word understand 335 00:17:08,727 --> 00:17:11,730 means. 336 00:17:12,331 --> 00:17:15,534 Is they they don't put it together 337 00:17:16,902 --> 00:17:19,605 like they've heard it all, 338 00:17:19,605 --> 00:17:22,608 but they're not putting it together. 339 00:17:23,342 --> 00:17:26,278 They're not they're not investing the energy 340 00:17:26,278 --> 00:17:30,182 and the effort to not just hear it and not just see it, 341 00:17:30,182 --> 00:17:34,219 but to take the time and the energy to put it together. 342 00:17:35,821 --> 00:17:39,925 And if they refuse to put it together, that's on them. 343 00:17:40,325 --> 00:17:43,495 But I'm not going to give them more light to continue to ignore. 344 00:17:43,495 --> 00:17:46,198 And reject. 345 00:17:46,198 --> 00:17:49,201 Do you understand? 346 00:17:51,303 --> 00:17:52,471 It's about putting it together. 347 00:17:54,106 --> 00:17:57,109 He just got done saying, you don't need more proof. 348 00:17:57,376 --> 00:18:00,312 I've given you enough proof. 349 00:18:00,312 --> 00:18:02,147 And the ultimate proof is going to be the resurrection. 350 00:18:02,147 --> 00:18:05,150 You don't need more proof. 351 00:18:05,184 --> 00:18:06,251 You've heard it. 352 00:18:06,251 --> 00:18:08,821 You've seen it. 353 00:18:08,821 --> 00:18:11,790 You're going to take the time to put it together. Now 354 00:18:12,191 --> 00:18:15,194 that's what he's saying. 355 00:18:17,463 --> 00:18:20,466 And so the question. 356 00:18:20,599 --> 00:18:23,769 I are you putting this together? 357 00:18:27,506 --> 00:18:30,509 What's going to be your response? 358 00:18:34,246 --> 00:18:37,349 One of the greatest desires of my life. 359 00:18:40,152 --> 00:18:40,652 Is by 360 00:18:40,652 --> 00:18:43,655 the Holy Spirit's power to be able to take this 361 00:18:44,223 --> 00:18:47,326 and understand it and be able to cast it 362 00:18:48,627 --> 00:18:51,396 in a way that makes sense. 363 00:18:51,396 --> 00:18:54,399 So you'll understand it. 364 00:18:55,667 --> 00:18:58,203 You get it. 365 00:18:58,203 --> 00:19:00,272 It's greatest desire of my hearts, my prayer. 366 00:19:00,272 --> 00:19:03,275 Every day. 367 00:19:03,609 --> 00:19:06,612 Whether you choose to take it 368 00:19:06,979 --> 00:19:10,449 and to put your own work in it, to understand it 369 00:19:10,449 --> 00:19:13,952 and ask God through His Spirit to give you understanding 370 00:19:15,687 --> 00:19:18,690 that's on you. 371 00:19:21,860 --> 00:19:24,863 The role of the Holy Spirit of God 372 00:19:25,264 --> 00:19:27,533 is to sanctify God's people. 373 00:19:27,533 --> 00:19:34,039 What sanctify means is to make us holy, to make us obedient, to make us righteous. 374 00:19:34,039 --> 00:19:35,874 That's the role of the Holy Spirit. 375 00:19:35,874 --> 00:19:38,877 And the Bible says that the Holy Spirit does that 376 00:19:39,077 --> 00:19:42,080 through the Word of God. 377 00:19:42,114 --> 00:19:44,683 We don't become more righteous 378 00:19:44,683 --> 00:19:47,686 or holy or obedient by showing up to church. 379 00:19:48,187 --> 00:19:50,055 We do it by the Word of God. 380 00:19:50,055 --> 00:19:51,990 That's why the church is so. 381 00:19:51,990 --> 00:19:55,561 It's so important for the church to proclaim and teach the Word of God, 382 00:19:55,627 --> 00:19:59,631 because through this, the Holy Spirit uses this that's been planted 383 00:19:59,631 --> 00:20:02,634 in our soil. 384 00:20:03,535 --> 00:20:06,538 To sanctify us. 385 00:20:08,907 --> 00:20:10,242 One of the greatest prayers 386 00:20:10,242 --> 00:20:13,245 you can pray after coming to Jesus. 387 00:20:15,013 --> 00:20:17,683 Is father, by the power of your spirit. 388 00:20:19,985 --> 00:20:22,988 Help me understand this word 389 00:20:24,957 --> 00:20:26,658 and sanctify me through it. 390 00:20:26,658 --> 00:20:30,362 Give me the desire to be obedient and holy and righteous. 391 00:20:35,334 --> 00:20:38,070 Help me put it together. 392 00:20:38,070 --> 00:20:40,839 And Jesus uses these words. 393 00:20:40,839 --> 00:20:43,342 He says this people, 394 00:20:43,342 --> 00:20:46,345 their heart is going door. 395 00:20:46,378 --> 00:20:49,648 That means it's grown fat and calloused. 396 00:20:51,550 --> 00:20:53,685 It's just gone. 397 00:20:53,685 --> 00:20:58,123 It's an unexercised their hearts are unexercised 398 00:20:58,123 --> 00:21:01,126 as far as my word is concerned. 399 00:21:02,127 --> 00:21:03,762 He says they're they're ears. 400 00:21:03,762 --> 00:21:04,796 They can barely hear. 401 00:21:04,796 --> 00:21:06,765 In other words, they're just hard of hearing. 402 00:21:06,765 --> 00:21:09,768 They've heard it all. 403 00:21:09,835 --> 00:21:12,838 They just refuse to hear it all. 404 00:21:13,372 --> 00:21:16,141 They're hard of hearing. Do you get this? 405 00:21:16,141 --> 00:21:18,210 As we say, 406 00:21:18,210 --> 00:21:18,944 he said, their eyes. 407 00:21:18,944 --> 00:21:20,646 They've closed. 408 00:21:20,646 --> 00:21:24,316 They've chosen to to turn a blind eye to the truth 409 00:21:24,316 --> 00:21:27,319 of what I've given them. 410 00:21:27,452 --> 00:21:28,620 So I teach them parables. 411 00:21:31,456 --> 00:21:32,591 All they have to do is turn. 412 00:21:32,591 --> 00:21:34,726 That's what he says. 413 00:21:34,726 --> 00:21:37,729 And look at this. 414 00:21:37,963 --> 00:21:40,966 In verse 15. 415 00:21:41,700 --> 00:21:44,369 All they do is turn. 416 00:21:44,369 --> 00:21:46,171 And I would hear them. That word turn. 417 00:21:46,171 --> 00:21:48,640 I mean, all they got to do is turn around. 418 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:51,643 Turn your life around. 419 00:21:53,345 --> 00:21:56,348 Repent. 420 00:21:57,883 --> 00:22:01,620 If you just simply return and turn your life around, 421 00:22:01,653 --> 00:22:04,656 he says, I will heal you. 422 00:22:06,124 --> 00:22:09,127 I don't know how you can be more clear. 423 00:22:10,529 --> 00:22:11,897 But it doesn't happen. 424 00:22:11,897 --> 00:22:17,769 Apart from the seed of the Word of God being implanted and the Holy Spirit 425 00:22:17,769 --> 00:22:20,772 given us his power to understand it, 426 00:22:21,039 --> 00:22:24,710 to lead us to repentance, a desire 427 00:22:24,710 --> 00:22:28,013 for holiness and sanctification and righteousness. 428 00:22:31,950 --> 00:22:34,953 Can you imagine what's at stake right now? 429 00:22:36,121 --> 00:22:39,091 In your life? 430 00:22:49,468 --> 00:22:50,001 Verse 18. 431 00:22:50,001 --> 00:22:50,235 Here. 432 00:22:50,235 --> 00:22:53,238 Then the parable of the sower says, okay, let me explain to you. 433 00:22:53,438 --> 00:22:55,607 Let me let me just help you understand this one. 434 00:22:55,607 --> 00:22:57,943 This is this is this is crazy. 435 00:22:57,943 --> 00:23:01,680 Jesus usually doesn't explain what the parables mean in these seven 436 00:23:02,247 --> 00:23:05,016 chapter 13, he's going to explain what the first two are. 437 00:23:05,016 --> 00:23:07,285 He's going to he's going to say, okay, here's the interpretation. 438 00:23:07,285 --> 00:23:08,553 Here's what I'm talking about. 439 00:23:08,553 --> 00:23:11,757 The rest of them, it's like, okay, you got to you gotta work this one out. 440 00:23:12,824 --> 00:23:14,860 Ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding, 441 00:23:14,860 --> 00:23:16,795 because you're not going to stand apart from the Holy Spirit. 442 00:23:16,795 --> 00:23:18,730 And that's all his job is to help you understand. 443 00:23:18,730 --> 00:23:20,832 So you'll be sanctified. 444 00:23:20,832 --> 00:23:23,835 But, but, but they'll help you get started. 445 00:23:24,002 --> 00:23:25,270 I'll explain it to you. 446 00:23:25,270 --> 00:23:27,706 So? So this is what he does. 447 00:23:27,706 --> 00:23:30,242 He explains it when anyone hears verse 19, 448 00:23:30,242 --> 00:23:34,679 when anyone hears, the word of the kingdom, it does not understand. 449 00:23:34,679 --> 00:23:37,682 Remember that word understand doesn't put it together. 450 00:23:39,651 --> 00:23:43,188 The evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. 451 00:23:43,555 --> 00:23:46,625 This is, This is what was sown along 452 00:23:46,625 --> 00:23:49,628 the path. 453 00:23:50,796 --> 00:23:52,764 The birds come and take it away. 454 00:23:52,764 --> 00:23:54,332 The evil one. 455 00:23:54,332 --> 00:23:56,168 Right. 456 00:23:56,168 --> 00:23:59,070 And so what he's saying here 457 00:23:59,070 --> 00:24:01,306 is those. 458 00:24:01,306 --> 00:24:01,940 That's good. 459 00:24:01,940 --> 00:24:03,275 See, there's nothing wrong with the seed, 460 00:24:05,177 --> 00:24:08,180 but those who have received that seed 461 00:24:08,313 --> 00:24:11,316 and don't put it together. 462 00:24:14,820 --> 00:24:17,722 The evil one comes 463 00:24:17,722 --> 00:24:20,725 and takes it away. 464 00:24:26,731 --> 00:24:27,599 When? 465 00:24:27,599 --> 00:24:30,702 When he uses that word, understand it literally to help you 466 00:24:31,102 --> 00:24:32,270 kind of get what he's saying. 467 00:24:32,270 --> 00:24:35,640 It's like two combatants coming together. 468 00:24:36,408 --> 00:24:39,211 What he's saying is this it's good seed 469 00:24:39,211 --> 00:24:42,214 that's been planted in, in, in, in you. 470 00:24:42,514 --> 00:24:47,252 But right now your life is in combat 471 00:24:47,953 --> 00:24:50,288 with the kingdom of God. 472 00:24:50,288 --> 00:24:52,591 Your life is in combat 473 00:24:52,591 --> 00:24:55,594 with the rule and reign of God over your life. 474 00:24:56,595 --> 00:25:00,365 And as long as you're combatants with each other, you'll never put this. 475 00:25:00,465 --> 00:25:03,301 So the idea of putting it together is saying it's in. 476 00:25:03,301 --> 00:25:08,573 Quit combating with the rule and reign of God and bring those together. 477 00:25:08,940 --> 00:25:09,708 Do you understand? 478 00:25:11,243 --> 00:25:14,246 And if that doesn't happen, 479 00:25:14,412 --> 00:25:17,415 the devil just comes in. 480 00:25:19,017 --> 00:25:19,684 You want to know why? 481 00:25:19,684 --> 00:25:21,887 Sometimes people come to church and the the seed. 482 00:25:21,887 --> 00:25:24,890 Good. 483 00:25:28,460 --> 00:25:29,528 They just walk out like. 484 00:25:29,528 --> 00:25:31,463 Like my. I'm. Well, whatever. 485 00:25:31,463 --> 00:25:31,830 Sunday. 486 00:25:31,830 --> 00:25:34,833 Gotta get on with the rest of life. 487 00:25:37,869 --> 00:25:39,304 Because they haven't surrendered yet 488 00:25:39,304 --> 00:25:42,307 to the rule and reign of God in their world. 489 00:25:43,241 --> 00:25:44,476 And the moment is planted. 490 00:25:44,476 --> 00:25:47,479 Boom! God. 491 00:25:49,147 --> 00:25:51,316 That's one of the realities 492 00:25:51,316 --> 00:25:54,052 of what happens when we 493 00:25:54,052 --> 00:25:57,055 hear Scripture. 494 00:26:07,866 --> 00:26:09,868 Listen, if you don't open up your ear, 495 00:26:09,868 --> 00:26:12,871 if you don't open your heart 496 00:26:13,171 --> 00:26:14,706 to the work of the Holy Spirit 497 00:26:14,706 --> 00:26:17,709 that's speaking to you right now. 498 00:26:18,843 --> 00:26:20,845 If you don't right now say, father, 499 00:26:20,845 --> 00:26:23,848 give me understanding to your word. 500 00:26:25,617 --> 00:26:28,520 I don't get it, but I would need the power of you. 501 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,722 You, your spirit, to give me. 502 00:26:30,722 --> 00:26:31,990 Help me understand this. 503 00:26:34,225 --> 00:26:34,960 If. If that's 504 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,129 not your prayer and your desire, what's being shown in you 505 00:26:38,129 --> 00:26:41,533 right now is being taken away from you right now by the evil one. 506 00:26:48,206 --> 00:26:49,908 Do you have understanding? 507 00:26:49,908 --> 00:26:52,911 You're putting this together. 508 00:26:56,748 --> 00:26:58,149 So that's the first of the second one. 509 00:26:58,149 --> 00:26:58,416 Is this. 510 00:26:58,416 --> 00:27:02,120 As for what was shown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word 511 00:27:02,120 --> 00:27:05,123 and immediately receives it with with joy. 512 00:27:05,256 --> 00:27:07,626 Yet he has no root in himself. 513 00:27:07,626 --> 00:27:09,127 He endures for a while. 514 00:27:09,127 --> 00:27:12,764 And when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately 515 00:27:12,931 --> 00:27:14,499 he falls away. 516 00:27:14,499 --> 00:27:17,636 He said the second group is like its good seed, 517 00:27:18,370 --> 00:27:20,805 and it's it's their. 518 00:27:20,805 --> 00:27:23,408 And initially, 519 00:27:23,408 --> 00:27:26,811 he hears it and immediately receives it with terms like, oh, this is, 520 00:27:26,845 --> 00:27:27,646 this is good stuff. 521 00:27:27,646 --> 00:27:28,013 Like this. 522 00:27:28,013 --> 00:27:31,683 Jesus saying, I like this, this is bad, I get this, that's good. 523 00:27:32,384 --> 00:27:35,120 You know, and they're excited about they're probably young, you know, 524 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:37,689 because young people are so excited like, oh, I love Jesus. 525 00:27:37,689 --> 00:27:38,790 And he's my savior. 526 00:27:38,790 --> 00:27:41,126 And I go to church and there's there's excitement. 527 00:27:41,126 --> 00:27:42,060 Enjoy there. Right. 528 00:27:42,060 --> 00:27:45,597 Like they they they prayed the prayer and they're like, oh, this is fantastic. 529 00:27:46,097 --> 00:27:48,600 And it's great for a little bit. 530 00:27:51,269 --> 00:27:54,939 But it's rocky underneath initially. 531 00:27:54,939 --> 00:27:57,275 The heart's soft, but it's a hard heart. 532 00:27:57,275 --> 00:28:01,112 And this was very typical of the of the, of the ground 533 00:28:01,112 --> 00:28:04,382 in Israel had a top layer that was fantastic. 534 00:28:04,382 --> 00:28:05,717 But under that there was a lot. 535 00:28:05,717 --> 00:28:09,454 It's I don't know if you knew this, but Israel's built on this huge rock shelf. 536 00:28:11,289 --> 00:28:12,557 And so, 537 00:28:12,557 --> 00:28:15,493 and so initially there's this, this good, 538 00:28:15,493 --> 00:28:18,496 but most of it's rocky underneath 539 00:28:18,496 --> 00:28:20,131 and it just can't penetrate the. 540 00:28:20,131 --> 00:28:22,000 And that's what some hearts are like. 541 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,302 Like initially it's soft like, oh I love the Lord. 542 00:28:24,302 --> 00:28:27,272 And then. 543 00:28:27,706 --> 00:28:30,442 And then their true heart revealed. 544 00:28:30,442 --> 00:28:33,244 And it happens like this. 545 00:28:33,244 --> 00:28:36,247 Yet it has no root. 546 00:28:36,748 --> 00:28:39,150 And they endure for a while 547 00:28:39,150 --> 00:28:41,319 that were for a while. 548 00:28:41,319 --> 00:28:43,922 It means literally for a season. 549 00:28:43,922 --> 00:28:44,689 There's a season. 550 00:28:44,689 --> 00:28:47,692 And some of you are you remember back in that season 551 00:28:48,359 --> 00:28:51,463 when you first fell in love with Jesus, you remember back in that season 552 00:28:52,931 --> 00:28:55,934 near a young youth group all the time, 553 00:28:56,301 --> 00:28:58,002 when you first come to face or read your Bible 554 00:28:58,002 --> 00:29:01,005 all the time, you remember that season. 555 00:29:01,906 --> 00:29:03,108 You're like, this is great news. 556 00:29:03,108 --> 00:29:04,175 How can I, how can I help? 557 00:29:04,175 --> 00:29:05,076 How can I serve the church? 558 00:29:05,076 --> 00:29:07,946 You remember that season 559 00:29:07,946 --> 00:29:10,949 and it's great for a season. 560 00:29:11,583 --> 00:29:14,586 But what happens is another season comes. 561 00:29:15,487 --> 00:29:18,490 And when tribulation or persecution, 562 00:29:19,124 --> 00:29:22,060 another season comes. 563 00:29:22,060 --> 00:29:25,063 You know, the season when I used to believe. 564 00:29:26,498 --> 00:29:29,300 I used to trust. 565 00:29:29,300 --> 00:29:30,702 I used to be a person of faith. 566 00:29:30,702 --> 00:29:32,737 I used to follow. 567 00:29:32,737 --> 00:29:35,740 But then the season of tribulation comes. 568 00:29:36,074 --> 00:29:38,009 The season of trouble. 569 00:29:38,009 --> 00:29:41,346 The season in your life of anguish, the season 570 00:29:41,346 --> 00:29:44,349 in your life of affliction. 571 00:29:45,483 --> 00:29:48,486 Something bad happens. 572 00:29:51,422 --> 00:29:54,392 Some season that you didn't see coming. 573 00:29:54,392 --> 00:29:57,128 Some season that you convince yourself it's not supposed to be this way. 574 00:29:57,128 --> 00:29:58,196 If I'm following Jesus. 575 00:30:00,932 --> 00:30:02,100 It's the season that hits the mess. 576 00:30:02,100 --> 00:30:04,736 You go, well, if God is loving, then why? 577 00:30:04,736 --> 00:30:07,205 If God is good, then why? 578 00:30:07,205 --> 00:30:10,208 If God is sovereign, then how could he allow? 579 00:30:14,813 --> 00:30:17,115 And persecution on account of the word? 580 00:30:17,115 --> 00:30:17,782 And let me tell you, 581 00:30:17,782 --> 00:30:20,785 let me give a little understanding to that persecution on account of the word. 582 00:30:22,086 --> 00:30:25,089 It looks like this. 583 00:30:25,290 --> 00:30:28,326 Well, the Bible says God is good and the Bible says God is love. 584 00:30:28,326 --> 00:30:29,961 And the Bible says God is sovereign. 585 00:30:29,961 --> 00:30:32,030 And the Bible says, 586 00:30:32,030 --> 00:30:34,833 I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for a future and a hope 587 00:30:34,833 --> 00:30:35,466 not for destruction. 588 00:30:35,466 --> 00:30:37,969 I know what the Bible says, but my experience says 589 00:30:37,969 --> 00:30:40,972 this and my experience says this, and my experience says this. 590 00:30:41,072 --> 00:30:46,110 And because of the word and my experience, one of them isn't true. 591 00:30:49,948 --> 00:30:52,951 To understand. 592 00:30:54,385 --> 00:30:56,921 And most people, 593 00:30:56,921 --> 00:30:59,924 rather than the word, says 594 00:31:00,692 --> 00:31:02,961 because of persecution, because of the word. 595 00:31:02,961 --> 00:31:05,964 Those things just don't jive. 596 00:31:06,130 --> 00:31:09,133 I follow a. 597 00:31:11,569 --> 00:31:12,804 To fall away 598 00:31:12,804 --> 00:31:16,608 means more literally to stumble, or an arm 599 00:31:16,708 --> 00:31:20,011 to stumble away from or, in our words, to deconstruct. 600 00:31:21,746 --> 00:31:23,581 I know what the Bible says. 601 00:31:23,581 --> 00:31:24,916 God loves me. 602 00:31:24,916 --> 00:31:26,918 God is good. 603 00:31:26,918 --> 00:31:28,586 He's sovereign. 604 00:31:28,586 --> 00:31:31,389 His providence continues to work all things together for good. 605 00:31:31,389 --> 00:31:34,192 But my experience is something other than that. 606 00:31:34,192 --> 00:31:36,261 My experience is something other than that. 607 00:31:36,261 --> 00:31:39,264 My experience is something other than that, at least how I feel about it. 608 00:31:39,297 --> 00:31:43,234 And so I have to deconstruct what I know of the Word of God 609 00:31:43,368 --> 00:31:44,869 and come up with something different. 610 00:31:44,869 --> 00:31:47,872 I have fallen and stumbled away. 611 00:31:50,408 --> 00:31:51,542 There's nothing wrong with the seed. 612 00:31:53,344 --> 00:31:54,579 Do you follow? 613 00:31:54,579 --> 00:31:57,148 Do you understand? 614 00:31:57,148 --> 00:32:00,151 Are you putting this together? 615 00:32:04,656 --> 00:32:05,456 This is. 616 00:32:05,456 --> 00:32:07,058 These are the four things that happen. 617 00:32:07,058 --> 00:32:10,061 That's one and two. 618 00:32:10,194 --> 00:32:13,197 And as a result, they fall away. 619 00:32:13,498 --> 00:32:14,999 They stumble, they're deconstructed. 620 00:32:14,999 --> 00:32:16,534 Verse 22. 621 00:32:16,534 --> 00:32:18,970 After it was sown among the thorns. 622 00:32:18,970 --> 00:32:21,139 This is the one who hears the word. 623 00:32:21,139 --> 00:32:24,575 But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches 624 00:32:24,575 --> 00:32:27,578 choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 625 00:32:28,212 --> 00:32:30,615 So the third one, 626 00:32:30,615 --> 00:32:33,785 good seed shown on the soil. 627 00:32:37,221 --> 00:32:39,791 But it's among thorns. 628 00:32:39,791 --> 00:32:42,360 They hear the word, 629 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:44,128 but there's thorns along with it. 630 00:32:44,128 --> 00:32:47,131 And Jesus describes the thorns 631 00:32:47,532 --> 00:32:50,535 as the cares of the world, 632 00:32:50,868 --> 00:32:51,970 the cares of the world. 633 00:32:51,970 --> 00:32:57,141 What he's talking about here is anxiety about life 634 00:32:57,141 --> 00:33:00,645 and the cares about what the world values 635 00:33:01,980 --> 00:33:03,715 the words there. 636 00:33:03,715 --> 00:33:07,585 But because I care more about the world's 637 00:33:07,585 --> 00:33:11,122 values than the kingdom values rule and reign of God. 638 00:33:12,857 --> 00:33:15,860 What is sown gets choked. 639 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,563 Do you understand? 640 00:33:18,563 --> 00:33:21,332 What's shown is good, 641 00:33:21,332 --> 00:33:23,368 but it's among thorns. 642 00:33:23,368 --> 00:33:24,502 And those thorns. 643 00:33:24,502 --> 00:33:28,873 Anxiety about life and my future. 644 00:33:29,874 --> 00:33:34,612 Or because now, rather than staying true to the values of the rule 645 00:33:34,612 --> 00:33:40,318 and reign of the Kingdom of God, I care more about the values of this world. 646 00:33:40,618 --> 00:33:43,454 What's been sown starts to be get choked. 647 00:33:43,454 --> 00:33:45,423 Now watch. 648 00:33:45,423 --> 00:33:47,592 Because of the cares of the world 649 00:33:47,592 --> 00:33:50,595 and the deceitfulness of riches. 650 00:33:52,830 --> 00:33:54,932 The deceitfulness 651 00:33:54,932 --> 00:33:58,236 of wealth and possessions and materialism. 652 00:33:58,236 --> 00:34:00,972 Here's what he's saying. 653 00:34:00,972 --> 00:34:02,874 He's saying that 654 00:34:02,874 --> 00:34:05,243 this good seed has been sown 655 00:34:05,243 --> 00:34:08,246 and it's starting to take root. 656 00:34:09,247 --> 00:34:12,250 But we get. 657 00:34:12,250 --> 00:34:14,552 Deceived 658 00:34:14,552 --> 00:34:17,588 by what we think wealth will bring us. 659 00:34:18,489 --> 00:34:20,958 Wealth will produce for us. 660 00:34:20,958 --> 00:34:25,496 Wealth will protect us from when we get deceived as to. 661 00:34:28,232 --> 00:34:30,134 The satisfaction 662 00:34:30,134 --> 00:34:33,137 that materialism will provide us. 663 00:34:34,705 --> 00:34:37,708 And it chokes what God was doing. 664 00:34:39,010 --> 00:34:41,546 Now watch this. 665 00:34:41,546 --> 00:34:42,447 The deceitfulness. 666 00:34:42,447 --> 00:34:44,849 Don't be fooled by this. 667 00:34:44,849 --> 00:34:47,885 Some are so delusional about wealth, 668 00:34:49,821 --> 00:34:52,824 about what they think wealth brings 669 00:34:52,857 --> 00:34:57,161 or what they think wealth protects them from, or what 670 00:34:57,161 --> 00:35:01,299 they think wealth will produce in them joy and happiness. 671 00:35:01,299 --> 00:35:04,302 If I just had a little bit more, 672 00:35:07,972 --> 00:35:08,339 Reason 673 00:35:08,339 --> 00:35:11,576 why is credit card debt is rampant in our country 674 00:35:11,576 --> 00:35:14,812 is because people have been delusion about wealth. 675 00:35:15,513 --> 00:35:18,483 They're delusional. 676 00:35:20,017 --> 00:35:22,620 Now watch this. 677 00:35:22,620 --> 00:35:26,390 The very things that we pray for and work for and plan for 678 00:35:26,424 --> 00:35:29,427 are the very things that can destroy our soul. 679 00:35:32,330 --> 00:35:33,931 Do you see this? 680 00:35:33,931 --> 00:35:36,901 The very things. 681 00:35:37,235 --> 00:35:38,903 Most people spend their lives 682 00:35:38,903 --> 00:35:41,973 working to gain and to get, 683 00:35:43,207 --> 00:35:44,442 so they can get to the end of 684 00:35:44,442 --> 00:35:47,945 their life and be comfortable and at ease. 685 00:35:48,446 --> 00:35:53,584 And all the wealth, the deceitfulness and the disillusion of wealth is choking 686 00:35:54,252 --> 00:35:57,255 what God has planted in them. 687 00:35:57,555 --> 00:35:59,991 The very things we pray for, 688 00:35:59,991 --> 00:36:02,760 the very things we work for, the very things 689 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:05,763 we set aside, retirement for others very things 690 00:36:05,830 --> 00:36:08,966 we think we're experiencing God's favor and blessing. 691 00:36:09,133 --> 00:36:12,904 And we may will be, but they're the very things that left 692 00:36:12,904 --> 00:36:16,407 unchecked choke what God could be doing and producing 693 00:36:16,407 --> 00:36:19,410 in our lives. 694 00:36:23,381 --> 00:36:24,615 Well, people got nothing. 695 00:36:24,615 --> 00:36:27,618 I'm telling you, they are here. 696 00:36:29,153 --> 00:36:32,156 And the moment prosperity comes, 697 00:36:32,290 --> 00:36:34,458 I forgot time 698 00:36:34,458 --> 00:36:37,461 and get really stingy. 699 00:36:38,462 --> 00:36:39,597 And most of us work 700 00:36:39,597 --> 00:36:42,900 and pray for this stuff when they look at God's favor on me. 701 00:36:42,900 --> 00:36:44,735 And all the while, all we're doing 702 00:36:44,735 --> 00:36:48,406 is amassing and perpetuating that the very things that choke 703 00:36:49,574 --> 00:36:52,376 what it is he would be doing. 704 00:36:52,376 --> 00:36:55,379 Do you ever see this? 705 00:36:57,582 --> 00:37:00,017 And that word choke. 706 00:37:00,017 --> 00:37:02,119 Choke it out. 707 00:37:02,119 --> 00:37:04,488 It means to suffocate it. 708 00:37:04,488 --> 00:37:06,357 It you just it just suffocate it. 709 00:37:06,357 --> 00:37:09,260 Slowly, slowly, slowly. Here's the truth. 710 00:37:09,260 --> 00:37:11,696 We don't usually lose our faith overnight. 711 00:37:11,696 --> 00:37:14,699 We slowly suffocate it. 712 00:37:15,132 --> 00:37:18,769 And some people have amassed so much around their lives, 713 00:37:18,769 --> 00:37:22,406 they have slowly suffocated the rule and reign of God 714 00:37:22,406 --> 00:37:25,409 over their stuff. 715 00:37:34,252 --> 00:37:36,821 So you most don't usually walk away from God immediately. 716 00:37:36,821 --> 00:37:39,824 Suddenly they just get distracted from him. 717 00:37:42,393 --> 00:37:45,363 And they use his blessings as excuses to ignore 718 00:37:46,297 --> 00:37:48,633 his rule and his reign. 719 00:37:48,633 --> 00:37:52,303 And just as they become unfruitful, they don't produce what they should 720 00:37:52,303 --> 00:37:56,274 produce for the Kingdom of God based on what God has implanted in their lives. 721 00:37:56,274 --> 00:37:56,807 They just don't. 722 00:37:59,910 --> 00:38:02,913 You know, I was thinking about these these especially these three parables 723 00:38:02,913 --> 00:38:07,318 this week, and I thought, you know, probably nobody in these three parables, 724 00:38:08,619 --> 00:38:11,622 none of these three realized how far from God they were, 725 00:38:12,823 --> 00:38:15,760 especially the ones who were the blessed ones, 726 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:19,430 probably had no concept of how far from God in the heart of the father they were, 727 00:38:20,531 --> 00:38:23,067 because, after all, they're blessed right? 728 00:38:23,067 --> 00:38:25,970 If I'm blessed, I got to be close to God. 729 00:38:25,970 --> 00:38:28,339 His favor has got to be on me. 730 00:38:28,339 --> 00:38:30,775 They probably have no idea how far from God they were. 731 00:38:30,775 --> 00:38:32,943 They probably thought, well, I look just like everybody else at church. 732 00:38:32,943 --> 00:38:34,979 It's all good. 733 00:38:34,979 --> 00:38:37,982 I'm not too far off. 734 00:38:38,816 --> 00:38:39,383 Oh, my friends, 735 00:38:39,383 --> 00:38:42,386 without careful consideration. 736 00:38:43,220 --> 00:38:45,289 And investigation of your own life, 737 00:38:45,289 --> 00:38:48,526 we will always be ignorant how fruitful we are or not. 738 00:38:52,463 --> 00:38:53,664 If the Word of God that's 739 00:38:53,664 --> 00:38:56,667 been sown in us is truly effective. 740 00:39:00,371 --> 00:39:03,374 With every ounce of my being, I want to encourage you. 741 00:39:04,342 --> 00:39:06,811 Pray, 742 00:39:06,811 --> 00:39:09,613 pray, pray, pray 743 00:39:09,613 --> 00:39:12,016 that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, would give 744 00:39:12,016 --> 00:39:15,019 you understanding to His Word 745 00:39:15,519 --> 00:39:18,522 that would lead you to repentance 746 00:39:19,590 --> 00:39:21,992 and allegiance 747 00:39:21,992 --> 00:39:24,962 to the Kingdom of God above all else. 748 00:39:26,464 --> 00:39:27,732 Pray that the Holy Spirit 749 00:39:27,732 --> 00:39:31,635 enlightens your heart to understand his words, that by His Word 750 00:39:31,802 --> 00:39:36,006 you will be sanctified, holy, and righteous. 751 00:39:44,415 --> 00:39:46,050 The way the Holy Spirit works on us 752 00:39:46,050 --> 00:39:50,154 to sanctifies, to make us into the image of Christ is through His Word. 753 00:39:50,154 --> 00:39:53,724 And also we have the power of the spirit to help us understand, to put it together, 754 00:39:54,692 --> 00:39:56,827 it'll be stolen away or choked out. 755 00:40:02,166 --> 00:40:04,335 And then Jesus said 756 00:40:04,335 --> 00:40:07,338 in verse 23. 757 00:40:07,338 --> 00:40:09,173 As for what was sown in good soil, 758 00:40:09,173 --> 00:40:12,410 this is the one who hears the word and understands it. 759 00:40:12,410 --> 00:40:14,478 Remember and understand, 760 00:40:14,478 --> 00:40:17,481 puts it together. Now. 761 00:40:18,282 --> 00:40:20,584 He indeed bears fruit and yields in one case 762 00:40:20,584 --> 00:40:23,587 100 fold, and another 60, and another 30. 763 00:40:24,588 --> 00:40:27,591 The normal production of the seed was 8 to 1. 764 00:40:28,993 --> 00:40:31,996 With Jesus Kingdom math 765 00:40:32,263 --> 00:40:35,266 30 to 1, 61 101. 766 00:40:37,301 --> 00:40:39,170 And so let me just leave. 767 00:40:39,170 --> 00:40:42,173 Let me leave us with a few questions. 768 00:40:44,175 --> 00:40:45,976 Which soil of those four 769 00:40:45,976 --> 00:40:48,979 currently represents your heart? 770 00:40:51,115 --> 00:40:53,050 Without intentional 771 00:40:53,050 --> 00:40:56,053 investigation of our hearts, we will be 772 00:40:57,021 --> 00:40:59,790 ignorant. 773 00:40:59,790 --> 00:41:02,760 As to what's going on right now. 774 00:41:03,127 --> 00:41:05,563 And so, friends, please 775 00:41:05,563 --> 00:41:07,832 ask yourselves what soil currently represents 776 00:41:07,832 --> 00:41:10,835 your heart. 777 00:41:11,202 --> 00:41:13,771 Second question is this 778 00:41:13,771 --> 00:41:16,373 am I producing 30 to 1, 61 or 779 00:41:16,373 --> 00:41:20,311 101 of the kingdom produce from what God has implanted in me? 780 00:41:24,682 --> 00:41:27,685 And apparently, according to God's math, 781 00:41:27,685 --> 00:41:29,420 if the Holy Spirit isn't through us 782 00:41:29,420 --> 00:41:32,423 producing 30, 60 to 100 fold. 783 00:41:33,390 --> 00:41:36,393 We must be part of the first three soils. 784 00:41:40,564 --> 00:41:43,200 Third question what are you doing to fertilize 785 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:46,504 good soil so that you produce 30 times, six times a hundred times what? 786 00:41:46,570 --> 00:41:49,573 What's. 787 00:41:49,740 --> 00:41:51,175 You have authority 788 00:41:51,175 --> 00:41:54,178 over the soil of your heart. 789 00:41:54,979 --> 00:41:57,982 What are you doing to fertilize that? 790 00:41:59,850 --> 00:42:02,086 The sanctification, our sanctification 791 00:42:02,086 --> 00:42:05,556 that even the desire to live a holy life, a righteous life and obedient life 792 00:42:05,823 --> 00:42:08,826 comes from the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. 793 00:42:11,028 --> 00:42:11,862 It doesn't happen. 794 00:42:11,862 --> 00:42:14,865 Apart from this, the seed that's sown, 795 00:42:15,966 --> 00:42:17,268 I read it. 796 00:42:17,268 --> 00:42:19,837 I am part of Bible studies about it. 797 00:42:19,837 --> 00:42:22,172 I listen to music about it. 798 00:42:22,172 --> 00:42:24,008 I don't care what your favorite music is, 799 00:42:24,008 --> 00:42:28,178 if it isn't in the Word of God music, it's going to choke something out. 800 00:42:30,881 --> 00:42:33,884 If you follow. 801 00:42:38,455 --> 00:42:42,860 So. Which of the four soils. 802 00:42:46,230 --> 00:42:49,233 Won't you pray with me? 803 00:42:52,770 --> 00:42:55,172 Father, your word is alive and active 804 00:42:55,172 --> 00:42:58,142 and it is piercing. 805 00:42:59,176 --> 00:43:02,179 And it's especially piercing for those of us 806 00:43:02,413 --> 00:43:05,416 who desire to understand. 807 00:43:06,650 --> 00:43:07,851 And for those in this place. 808 00:43:07,851 --> 00:43:10,187 For those who hear my voice, who desire to understand, I pray. 809 00:43:10,187 --> 00:43:13,190 By the power of your spirit, you will grant understanding 810 00:43:14,458 --> 00:43:17,461 that leads to repentance 811 00:43:17,461 --> 00:43:19,630 and in repentance, that you would give all that 812 00:43:19,630 --> 00:43:22,633 your grace would allow. 813 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:24,635 As they pledge their allegiance to you 814 00:43:24,635 --> 00:43:27,638 and your Kingdom rule. 815 00:43:28,973 --> 00:43:31,442 Guys, I'm not talking about just stay in this moment of prayer for me. 816 00:43:31,442 --> 00:43:32,543 Just listen to me. 817 00:43:32,543 --> 00:43:37,348 I'm not talking about inviting Jesus into your life to be your guest. 818 00:43:38,282 --> 00:43:40,651 He does not want to be the guest of your heart. 819 00:43:43,687 --> 00:43:45,322 He wants to violently take it 820 00:43:45,322 --> 00:43:48,325 over as a hostile takeover. 821 00:43:49,793 --> 00:43:51,862 It's not a pleasant, kind invitation. 822 00:43:51,862 --> 00:43:56,967 It is a hostile takeover where he wants to destroy everything 823 00:43:56,967 --> 00:43:59,970 of this world. 824 00:44:01,805 --> 00:44:05,142 And create an entirely new life. 825 00:44:08,479 --> 00:44:11,482 And I charge you in the name of Jesus. 826 00:44:12,916 --> 00:44:15,919 Say, father, I admit I'm a sinner. 827 00:44:16,220 --> 00:44:19,223 I've lived life on my own terms. 828 00:44:22,192 --> 00:44:25,262 I believe that Jesus died on the cross 829 00:44:26,697 --> 00:44:29,733 so I could have a way to be made right with you. 830 00:44:29,867 --> 00:44:32,569 Not based on what I do, 831 00:44:32,569 --> 00:44:34,772 but based on what he's done. 832 00:44:34,772 --> 00:44:37,741 I believe he was raised from the grave 833 00:44:37,908 --> 00:44:40,911 and is alive today. 834 00:44:41,345 --> 00:44:44,348 Saved me by that faith. 835 00:44:45,115 --> 00:44:47,651 And here's the hostile takeover part. 836 00:44:47,651 --> 00:44:50,654 You got to get to this part. 837 00:44:51,789 --> 00:44:53,657 I commit to turn from my sin. 838 00:44:56,627 --> 00:44:58,529 My habits, 839 00:44:58,529 --> 00:45:01,532 my addictions. 840 00:45:01,632 --> 00:45:03,600 The stuff I harbor in my heart, 841 00:45:03,600 --> 00:45:06,770 I commit to turn from all of it. 842 00:45:07,771 --> 00:45:09,406 And I dedicate my life. 843 00:45:09,406 --> 00:45:12,409 And I dedicate my allegiance to you and you alone. 844 00:45:14,912 --> 00:45:15,479 Tell him. See. 845 00:45:15,479 --> 00:45:19,383 Empower me to love you with my whole heart and soul and mind and strength, 846 00:45:19,550 --> 00:45:22,553 without delay and without hesitation. 847 00:45:24,588 --> 00:45:26,990 Fill me with your power 848 00:45:26,990 --> 00:45:29,026 and the power of your spirit 849 00:45:29,026 --> 00:45:32,029 to live a holy life. 850 00:45:35,399 --> 00:45:37,568 Father, I thank you 851 00:45:37,568 --> 00:45:39,870 that you have loved us with an everlasting love. 852 00:45:39,870 --> 00:45:42,973 That nothing we could do or not do would separate us from that love. 853 00:45:43,140 --> 00:45:45,375 But I pray 854 00:45:45,375 --> 00:45:48,512 by the power of the Holy Spirit, that you would help us understand that love 855 00:45:50,013 --> 00:45:53,016 and give ourselves fully to you. 856 00:45:53,851 --> 00:45:56,386 Protect us from the evil one, from still, in a word way, 857 00:45:57,488 --> 00:45:58,756 protect us from ourselves, 858 00:45:58,756 --> 00:46:01,759 from letting it get choked out. 859 00:46:03,727 --> 00:46:06,730 Give us, by the power of your spirit. 860 00:46:07,498 --> 00:46:10,367 The power and the strength 861 00:46:10,367 --> 00:46:13,103 sanctify us to be obedient 862 00:46:13,103 --> 00:46:15,839 and holy and righteous. 863 00:46:15,839 --> 00:46:18,575 The image of your son in this world. 864 00:46:18,575 --> 00:46:19,810 In your name I pray Jesus. 865 00:46:19,810 --> 00:46:22,479 Amen. 866 00:46:22,479 --> 00:46:24,715 Church, I love you. 867 00:46:24,715 --> 00:46:26,850 I'm proud of you. 868 00:46:26,850 --> 00:46:29,319 I said we were going through Matthew earlier. 869 00:46:29,319 --> 00:46:32,222 I said, Jesus just keeps putting the throttle down right? 870 00:46:32,222 --> 00:46:35,225 Like he doesn't let up and it's good. 871 00:46:35,793 --> 00:46:37,327 And so we're going to keep pressing through this. 872 00:46:37,327 --> 00:46:38,395 So here's my ask. 873 00:46:38,395 --> 00:46:42,833 Read Matthew 13 the whole chapter over and over and over this week. 874 00:46:42,933 --> 00:46:45,903 Some of these parables you'll get like, yeah, I got it. 875 00:46:45,936 --> 00:46:48,572 Others want me to like what I. 876 00:46:48,572 --> 00:46:50,307 But let it live inside you. 877 00:46:50,307 --> 00:46:51,175 Let it bubble up. 878 00:46:51,175 --> 00:46:54,244 It's by the Word of God that the Holy Spirit's going to sanctify you. 879 00:46:54,978 --> 00:46:56,180 And we'll talk about it next week. 880 00:46:56,180 --> 00:46:57,948 You got it. This thing.