How To Live A Fruitful Life For Jesus Christ Series

How to Live a Fruitful Life for Jesus Christ

The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared April 28, 2022)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to Matthew 13. Today in vs. 1-23, we will take another look at one of the Lord's parables. These were the earthly stories Jesus told that also had a heavenly meaning, and we have already studied ten parables in Matthew's Gospel. But this parable is different, because it was the first time Jesus told a parable not only to reveal knowledge to His followers, but also to conceal knowledge from His enemies.

*Here Jesus concealed spiritual truth from the hardhearted scribes and Pharisees who had so thoroughly rejected the Lord. Matthew 12:14 tells us that the Pharisees had already begun plotting how to kill Jesus. And on the same day Jesus told this parable, Matthew 12:22-32 tells us that some of the Pharisees committed the unforgivable sin by blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

*By this time, Jesus had already worked countless miracles, but their blind hatred made it impossible for those men to see that Jesus Christ was the future Savior, and King prophesied in the Old Testament.

*Isaiah 55:6-7 urges us to "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." But in Genesis 6:3 the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever.”

*There is an invisible line that men cross over, where all hope is gone. It was too late for those scribes and Pharisees. They had no desire to trust in the Lord Jesus, and they never would. That's why Jesus began to conceal His truth from these Christ-haters.

*And this was the setting in Matthew 13 when Jesus told His parable of the seed and the soils. But the story of this parable shows Christians how to have a fruitful life for our Savior. Please think about this as we read Matthew 13:1-23.

MESSAGE:

*When I was a boy living in Daytona Beach, we had two grapefruit trees growing in our small backyard. Sounds like a good thing, but those trees were a hassle for me and my brother Jon.

*No offense, but no matter how much sugar you put on a grapefruit, it still tastes like grapefruit, right? It tasted pretty yucky to me and my brother. We did like to throw them at each other though, and we had some big "grapefruit wars" in that backyard. But they were definitely a hassle to us. Nobody wants hundreds of rotten grapefruit in their backyard. And they make it super hard to cut the grass, so we had to pick them up.

*Let me tell you that you can definitely have too much grapefruit! But you can never have too much spiritual fruit for the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants all Christians to have fruitful lives. But what kind of fruit was Jesus talking about in this parable? The New Testament shows us at least four different kinds of good spiritual fruit.

[1] THE FIRST IS HOLINESS AND GOODNESS, THE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST.

*Romans 6:22 tells Christians, "Now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life." Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance." And Ephesians 5:9 says, "The fruit of the Spirit is in all (that is, in all believers) goodness, righteousness and truth."

[2] THE SECOND KIND OF CHRISTIAN FRUIT IS OUR FINANCIAL GIVING.

*In Philippians 4:15-17, Paul said:

15. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.

16. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.

17. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.

[3] THE THIRD KIND OF CHRISTIAN FRUIT IS OUR HEARTFELT PRAISE TO GOD.

*Hebrews 13:15 says: "Therefore by Him (by Jesus) let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." God wants all of us to be intentional about praising Him. Praise Him when you first get up in the morning. Praise Him in the shower. Praise Him on the way to work. Praise Him when you lay down at night.

*Praise the Lord! Praise Him because He is always worthy of our praise. Praise Him because it will cheer you up and ease your worries. And praise the Lord because all of your heartfelt praise is spiritual fruit in your life.