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.
[4] THE FOURTH KIND OF FRUIT IS THE ONE WE THINK OF THE MOST, AND THAT IS REACHING MORE PEOPLE FOR JESUS CHRIST.
*It is spreading the good news of forgiveness and eternal life through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Listen to the Lord in John 4:35-36. There Jesus spoke to His disciples and asked:
35. "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
36. And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together."
*Then in Romans 1:13 Paul said: "Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you." And why did Paul plan on going to Rome? He said, "that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles."
*God wants all of us to have fruitful Christian lives. And this farming parable can help us get there.
1. FIRST: WE NEED THE RIGHT SEED.
*In vs. 3-4, we see the farmer sowing his seed. There Jesus spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them."
*Then in vs. 19 the Lord tells us what the seed is. Here Jesus said, "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 seed in this parable is the "word of the Kingdom." Luke 8:11 tells us that the seed is the Word of God, and there is nothing wrong with the seed! God has proved His Word beyond measure for anyone who will take an honest look.
[1] ONE OF THE GREATEST PROOFS IS THE HUNDREDS OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES THAT HAVE ALREADY COME TRUE.
*Think for a moment how hard it is to predict the future. We don't know what's going to happen in five minutes. But Isaiah 46:9-10 tells us that God sees the end from the beginning. And He has revealed it in His Word. This includes all of the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. GotQuestions.org tells us that Jesus fulfilled at least 300 of these prophecies during His earthly ministry, and other sources list more.
*For example, about 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah 7:14 gave this prophecy: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
*This prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-22 where the Apostle reported:
18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.''
22. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23. "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,'' which is translated, "God with us.''
*Also about 700 years before Christ, Micah 5:2 prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.''
*This prophecy was fulfilled only because Caesar Augustus decided to tax all the people in the Roman Empire. Otherwise, Jesus would have been born in Nazareth! But Luke 2:1-6 says:
1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
*God knew that was going to happen! He put it in His Word hundreds of years before it happened, and hundreds more of these Old Testament prophecies have already come true. That's great proof we can count on God's Word.
[2] ANOTHER GREAT PROOF IS THAT THE BIBLE HAS MIRACULOUS POWER TO CHANGE OUR LIVES.
*There is no way we can overestimate the power of the Bible. Only God's Word has the power to save our souls, give us the new spiritual birth of eternal life, and change our lives forever!
*Gaylord Kambarami told one of my favorite stories about the life-changing power of God's Word. Gaylord was the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Zimbabwe when he tried to give a New Testament to a very grouchy, hot-tempered man. The man gruffly said he would take the New Testament, but only so he could tear out the pages, roll them up, and use them to make cigarettes.
*Gaylord told the man, "I understand that, but at least promise to read the page of the New Testament before you smoke it." The man agreed and the two went their separate ways.
*Fifteen years later, the two men met at a Methodist convention in Zimbabwe. By that time, the Scripture-smoking atheist had trusted in Jesus and was a full-time evangelist! He told the people, "I smoked Matthew, and I smoked Mark, and I smoked Luke. But when I got to John 3:16, I couldn't smoke anymore! My life was changed from that moment." "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (1)
*This is the power of the perfect "seed" of God's Word. This is also why 1 Peter 1:22-25 speaks to Christians and says that we should love one another fervently with a pure heart:
23. having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
24. because "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,
25. but the word of the Lord endures forever.'' Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
2. HOW CAN WE HAVE A FRUITFUL LIFE FOR THE LORD? IT TAKES THE RIGHT SEED, AND IT TAKES THE RIGHT SERVICE.
*In vs. 3 Jesus said, "Behold, a sower went out to sow." Then down in Matthew 13:37 as He explained another parable, Jesus said, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man." Jesus Christ is the ultimate planter of good seed!
*But now Christians, Jesus wants us to go and sow the good seed of God's Word! Somebody has got to go out and plant the seed. Somebody has to be willing to share the wonderful Good News of salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ.
*Allen Gardiner is an amazing example of faithful service to God. In the early 1800's, Allen was one of God's faithful missionaries. He went through many physical difficulties and hardships as he served, but Allen said, "While God gives me strength, failure will not (overwhelm) me."
*Allen died in 1851 from disease and starvation. He was only 57 years old. At the time, Allen was serving on Picton Island at the far southern tip of South America. When they found his body, his little diary was laying nearby. It told the story of Allen's hunger, thirst, injuries, and loneliness.
*The last entry showed the trembling of Allen's shaking hand as he tried to write legibly. But with all of his suffering and all of his hardship, Allen's last words were: "I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God."
*Allen Gardiner repeatedly went to South America. He even gave his life trying to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost people in South America. And Allen died of starvation without seeing a single soul saved. But the South American Missionary Society he founded has been sending out missionaries and winning souls for 178 years! May God give us hearts fully devoted to serving the Lord! (2)
3. HOW CAN WE HAVE FRUITFUL CHRISTIAN LIVES? IT TAKES THE RIGHT SERVICE, AND IT TAKES THE RIGHT SOIL.
*The faithful servant spreads the seed, and the seed of God's Word is always good. But there were 4 kinds of soil in the Lord's parable. Only one of the soils was good, and naturally, that had a giant impact on the resulting fruit.
[1] THE FIRST BAD SOIL WAS TIGHTLY PACKED DOWN.
*Jesus mentioned it in vs. 3-4 where He said, "Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them." Then in vs. 19 Jesus explained, "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 "wayside" was the dirt path so packed down that it was as hard as concrete. And Luke 8:12 says, "Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved." It all comes down to a person's heart: Is it open or closed? Receptive or hard as a rock?
[2] THE NEXT BAD SOIL WAS STONY SOIL.
*In vs. 5-6 Jesus said, "Some (of the seed) fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away."
*And in vs. 20-21 Jesus explained, "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 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."
*This soil was not what we usually think of as rocky soil. Instead, it was a solid layer of rock covered by a thin layer of dirt on top. (3)
*This soil reminds us that there are people in church who think they are saved, but they are not. Their names are on the church roll. Maybe they've been dipped in the water. But they have never had a life-changing experience with Jesus Christ. Just below that thin layer of good dirt lies a heart made of stone.
[3] THE THIRD BAD SOIL WAS FULL OF THORNY WEEDS.
*We see this soil in vs. 7 where Jesus said that some of the good seed "fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them." Then in vs. 22 Jesus explained that "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."
*This reminds us that we are surrounded by things that can keep us from having a fruitful Christian life. Riches for example are deceitful.
*Ted Turner is a very, very rich man. Two days ago, his net worth was estimated to be $2.3 billion. That includes about 2 million acres of land in the United States, 45,000 bison, and ranches in Argentina.
*But years ago in a television interview, Barbara Walters asked Ted Turner, "What does it feel like to be so wealthy?" And Ted replied, "It's like a paper bag. Everyone sees the bag. Everyone wants it. (But) once you get the bag, you discover that the bag is empty." (4)
*Riches are deceitful, and all of us need to watch out for thorny weeds in the garden of our heart. We may have been Christians for 50 years, but that doesn't mean we aren't subject to bad attitudes and habits.
*What can we do about the thorns? The great preacher Charles Spurgeon had a good idea. Spurgeon said, "Still, there is a use for thorns. What is that use? First, if you have thorns about you today, make a child's use of them. What does a child do? If he gets a thorn in his finger, he looks at it, and cries. How it hurts!
*Then he runs off to his mother, and his pain admits him to his mother at once. She might say, 'Why are you running in the house? Go run outside in the yard.' But he cries, 'Please, mother, I've got a thorn in my finger.' This is quite enough argument to give him the best attention from his loving mother.
*See how tenderly she takes out the little dagger! Let your cares drive you to God. I shall not mind if you have many thorns, if each one leads you to prayer." Let your thorns drive you to Jesus! Whatever the temptation, let it drive you to the Lord! (5)
[4] NEXT, THE LORD TELLS US ABOUT THE GOOD SOIL.
*In vs. 8 Jesus tells us that some of the good seed "fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Then in vs. 23 Jesus explained that "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.'' In Luke 8:15, Jesus said the seeds "that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."
*A good heart: That is the issue. And that is the problem. The ground of our heart may be hard or stony or thorny, but there is nothing we can do about this on our own. Charles Spurgeon explained, "Nothing can be done with it by man. The only thing that can be done is for God to come in, and when God in His infinite mercy changes the rock into good soil, then the wheat will grow, but not until then.
*In Ezekiel 36:26-27 God 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. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.'
*There must be a work of the Holy Spirit by which the natural rock of nature shall be turned into the good soil of grace, or else all the sowing in the world will never produce a harvest." (6)
*Who can make good soil? Only God can do that! And it is only possible through the cross of Jesus Christ!
4. SO HOW CAN WE HAVE FRUITFUL LIVES? IT TAKES THE RIGHT SOIL, AND MOST OF ALL, IT TAKES THE RIGHT SAVIOR.
*There is only one! And His name is Jesus Christ! That led David Dykes to ask this vital question: "What is God really like?" David went on to say, "Some people think the most important question of life is 'Do you believe in God?' But a more important question is 'What kind of God do you believe in?'
*There are many religions in the world that present many different pictures of God, and they all may contain a little truth. A stopped clock is right twice a day, but actually a broken clock is worse than no clock at all because it gives you misleading information. You can 'believe' in God. But if you have a false concept of God, you are no better off than an atheist." (7)
*What is God really like? Look at Jesus Christ and you will see, because He IS God. He loves us in spite of our selfish, sinful hearts. He loved us enough to die on the cross for our sins. He rose again from the dead. And He will save anyone who will turn to Him in faith.
*Jesus Christ is able to take the hardest heart, and turn it into a fruitful life for Him. When we let the Lord have His way in our hearts, that's when we begin to live fruitful lives.
CONCLUSION:
*And as long as we are in the world, God wants us to bear more fruit for His Kingdom. But only Jesus Christ can help us do that. In John 15:5 Jesus said, "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."
*But with Jesus, we can all be more fruitful for the Lord! Let's ask God to help us as we bow again for prayer.
(1) American Bible Society Record, March 1990 - Source: Raymond McHenry - STORIES FOR PREACHERS AND TEACHERS
(2) Sources:
-SermonIllustrations.com - GOD, goodness of
-https://churchmissionsociety.org/
-https://churchmissionsociety.org/about/south-american-mission-society-sams/
(3) Sources:
-WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by Archibald Thomas (A. T.) Robertson - Published in 1930-1933 - Matthew 13:5 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
-"Believer's Bible Commentary" by William MacDonald - Edited by Arthur Farstad - Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Copyright 1995 - Matthew 13:1-9 - "Parables of the Kingdom" - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
(4) Sources:
-https://www.forbes.com/profile/ted-turner/?sh=67ee974550db
-Stephen Arterburn, Winning at Work Without Losing at Love - Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994, p. 141 - Source: "Dynamic Preaching" - 5th Sunday in September 2001
(5) Adapted from "Sown Among Thorns" - A Sermon (No. 2040) Delivered on Lord's-day Morning, August 19th, 1888, by C. H. SPURGEON, At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington - https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/sown-among-thorns/#flipbook/
(6) Adapted from "The Seed Upon Stony Ground" - Charles Haddon Spurgeon - September 14, 1873 - Scripture: Mark 4:5, 6 - From: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 19 - https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-seed-upon-stony-ground/#flipbook/
(7) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "What Is God Really Like" by David Dykes - Luke 15:11-24
