INTRODUCTION
God has put a message on my heart to share with you from the Gospel of Matthew. This message is actually very special to me personally. It was April of 1993 when I heard someone preach on the “Parable of the Sower” from Matthew 13.
We had just survived a very serious car accident. God had mercy on us that day. We were battered and bruised, but we were alive. As I was laying in the hospital, I started thinking... One moment, I was in our car... The next moment, I was waking up on a table in the emergency room. It happened so fast.
Then I started thinking... I shouldn’t be alive... Where would I be if I had died in that accident? I began to realize that I didn’t have a good answer. I didn’t know.
We were released from the hospital and went back home. But those thoughts were constantly in my mind... Why am I still alive?... Where would I be if I had died?
There was a church right across the street from the apartment where we were living at the time. We started attending that church a few weeks before the accident. But after the accident, we somehow felt especially drawn to that church. That next Sunday after the accident, we went to church. My face looked like raw meat where the doctor had stitched my face back together, and my wife could barely walk. We were both still in a lot of pain and probably should not have left the apartment until we had spent more time recovering... but something... some kind of need for answers... maybe a desire to try and understand why we were still alive... something was drawing us... pulling us to that church across the street from our apartment.
That Sunday, the pastor gave a message from Matthew 13 on what is called or known as the “Parable of the Sower”. God used this message to change my life forever. Yes, this message is truly special for me... and I’m honored to have an opportunity to share it with all of you today.
But before we go any further, let’s go to the Lord in prayer... [OPENING PRAYER]
Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 13:3-9. Matthew is the first book in the New Testament, and the first of the four Gospels... Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
I challenge everyone to look up and find the Bible verses during the sermon... Don’t just rely on the Powerpoint slides... If you don’t have a Bible, just raise your hand, and we’ll gladly give you one. I encourage you to develop and grow your knowledge of the Bible by learning and becoming more confident in finding verses in the Bible. You may not be very confident or may even feel a little embarrassed if you’re not sure how to look up a verse... Feel free to use the table of contents or even ask the person next to you for help. We’re all family here... The more you practice, the more confident you will be... And the more you read the Bible for yourself then the more God will open your understanding of who He is and what His plans are for you. I know you can do it!
OK, let's read Matthew 13:3-9...
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
A parable is like a story... It’s a story with a purpose... It’s a story that uses commonly understood concepts to explain something... something with an important spiritual message.
In Jesus’ time, the concepts of farming found in this parable would have easily been understood by those who were listening. Farmers would sow (or plant) their crops by casting (or throwing) their seeds on the ground. As they cast their seeds, they would not always land where the farmer may have wanted. Instead of landing in the field that had been prepared for growing the crop, some seeds would land on the hard pathway, some in the rocky unprepared soil, and some in among the thorns and weeds off to the side.
Jesus used this common farming concept to draw a picture of how the same Word of God (the seed) produces different results depending on the state of the hearts of the hearers (the soil).
I. THE UNYIELDING HEART – THE WORD IS SNATCHED AWAY
Let’s look first at the unyielding heart, where the Word is snatched or taken away. As those seeds were cast out, some of them would land on the hard-packed walkway or road. In verse 4, this is referred to as the “wayside” or the “pathway” or “road”. The idea is that of a travelled way or road that is hard and packed down from everyone using the same walkway.
If you were to toss a seed into the middle of a hard-packed dirt road, there’s no way it’s going to germinate and grow. The road is too hard and unyielding. Any seeds on this road just become food for the birds.
Jesus uses the image of the wayside or road to describe the person’s unyielding heart that is stone-cold to the things of God. Keep your place in Matthew 13, but let's turn briefly to 1 Corinthians 2:14 and let's see what it says...
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
To complete the picture of the unyielding heart, Jesus uses the image of a bird snatching away the seed of the Word. Turn back to Matthew 13 and let's read how Jesus explains this in verses 18 and 19...
18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
The heart of the person that Jesus describes here doesn’t understand the Word and the things of God and so wants nothing to do with it. They often view Christians as intolerant for believing that there is only one way to get to heaven, and that the only way is through Jesus Christ. It’s foolishness to them and they want nothing to do with it... They have an unyielding heart.
II. THE UNPREPARED HEART – THE WORD WITHERS AWAY
Let’s now take a look at the unprepared heart, where the Word withers away. Let’s read Matthew 13:5-6 again…
5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away
Jesus explains this part of the parable to His disciples in Matthew 13:20-21…
20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
The soil of the heart hasn’t been prepared to receive the Word and allow it to become strong and healthy. The implanted Word will quickly wither in the soil of an unprepared heart. As Believers, we’ve been promised trials and tribulations and persecution. James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”
If yours is a heart of rocky soil, you won’t be able to have joy and to persevere when going through trials and being persecuted for your faith. This is what happened to some of the members of the churches of Galatia...
Galatians 1:6...
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel
Galatians 5:7-8...
7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.
This is possibly the more devious of the types of soil, where there may have been an initial flash of new growth, but there’s really not any fruit being produced.
Don’t be fooled... Turn back a few pages in your Bible to Matthew 7:21, where Jesus says... “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven.”
On the surface is a thin layer of soil, but underneath still remains an unyielding hardness, causing the Word to wither and be fruitless.
III. THE UNCOMMITTED HEART – THE WORD IS CHOKED AWAY
The third soil condition is full of thorns... the uncommitted heart where the Word is choked away. Taking a quick peek back at Matthew 13:7 again, it reads, “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.”
Jesus lists two types of thorns that choke the Word as He explains this part of the parable in verse 22...
22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
The first thorn bush takes the form of the cares of this world.
There are definitely plenty of things to distract us from following after God... jobs, house/rent payments, car payments, entertainment, sports, recreation, leisure time, school, family, politics, cultural issues... the list can go on and on. In the uncommitted heart, the cares of this world can choke away the Word and leave us empty.
Proverbs 24:30-32 gives us a great word picture of what the outcome or result of this looks like...
30 I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction.
Let us likewise receive instruction, and not allow the cares of this world to overwhelm us. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to “cast all our cares upon Him.” I realize that’s often easier said than done, but it is so important to remain diligent and not become lazy in our spiritual walk.
The second thorn bush is found in the deceitfulness of riches.
The Bible has so much to say about this one...
1 Timothy 6:10... “For the love of money is the root of all evil”
Matthew 6:24... “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money].”
Matthew 19:23-24... "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'”
Jesus calls for all of us as Believers to forsake everything to follow after Christ. The soil full of thorns will choke the Word and prevent us from doing what Jesus is calling us to do.
IV. THE UNCHAINED HEART – THE WORD YIELDS FRUIT
The final type of soil is the good, fertile ground of the unchained heart, where the Word yields fruit. God is the One who prepares your heart to receive His Word. He can change your heart, and put within you a heart of good soil. Jesus concludes with an explanation of the good ground in Matthew 13:23...
23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
I also love the picture that Jesus gives us in John 15:5-8, where He says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
When I heard this sermon after our car accident, I remember reflecting back on my life... How I was basically raised in church... I even "prayed the prayer"... I had been baptized... I was a member of the church... But my heart was the thorny soil... and over time, I no longer even desired the things of God. Instead, I lived for myself. And I was miserable. I realized that I was sick and tired of who I'd become. But I didn't want just another religious "quick fix" or "self help" program that would soon fade away again... I deeply desired a permanent change.
I remember sitting toward the back of that church sanctuary with my face wet with tears as the pastor was finishing the message. At that moment, I sat there and prayed for God to save me and to change my heart forever. I was tired of just pretending to be a Christian. I was tired of being the bitter, hateful, angry person I had become. I wanted my heart to be unchained... to be that good soil. I was ready to completely surrender my life to Jesus Christ... and I was forever changed!
CONCLUSION / INVITATION TO RESPOND
Which of these four soils does your heart most closely resemble this morning?
Have you already tuned God out, and are just waiting for this message to be over? Do you desire to have nothing at all to do with God and His Son Jesus Christ? God loves you regardless of what you may think of Him... and He is seeking after you... He desires to have a personal relationship with you and to set you free from the burden of sin that you continue to bear. The evil one wants to steal the Word that you've heard today away from you. Satan doesn't want you to be forever changed. I pray for you that God would do in you what He promises in Ezekiel 36:26, where He says... "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
Or maybe you thought you had a relationship with God, but you haven’t seen any spiritual fruit or evidence of that in your life. Does your heart resemble that thin, rocky soil? Are you just going thru the religious motions because it's what's expected of you? Or maybe you gave your heart to Jesus, but then walked away from Him and right back to where you were before? God's not finished with you! Will you pray for God to prepare the soil of your heart to receive His Word and to grow deep spiritual roots? Will you recommit yourself anew to truly surrender your life to Jesus no matter the consequences? He is still seeking after you, and He still desires to have a personal and vibrant relationship with you!
Maybe you're like I was before the car accident... Are you chasing after all this world has to offer instead of chasing after God? Have the cares and thorns of this world choked the life out of your spiritual walk with Christ? Pray that God would remove that thorny soil and replace it with that good, fertile soil... Just know that it won't be easy... Jesus warns that following Him will require sacrifice... We must be willing to first lose the life we are so desperately trying to build for ourselves so that we may gain something so much greater, so much more meaningful than anything this world could possibly offer. Once you're ready to truly surrender your life to Him, then the cares and thorns of this world won't be able to choke out the Word from your life anymore.
Do you know without the shadow of any doubt that you will spend eternity in Heaven because God has given you a heart of good, fertile soil, and you've been forever changed? Then I praise God for His endless grace, mercy, and lovingkindness that He has lavished upon you, my brothers and sisters! My prayer for you is that you will then walk worthy of the calling with which you've been called for His kingdom and for His glory. Continue to pray for those who are struggling in their faith, or have never placed their faith in Christ... Be faithful to reach out to them with love... with compassion... with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Let's pray.
