The Message You Cannot Afford To Ignore.

ONE MESSAGE YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE

Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23

Intro: Sometimes I will hear a TV or radio preacher make this startling claim, “You need to get a copy of this message! It may be the greatest single message you will ever hear! This is the one message that you cannot afford to miss!” Maybe they are right. I will probably never know. But, there is one thing I know for sure. The message I am about to preach today is one message you cannot afford to miss.

The truths that are revealed by Jesus in this parable are life altering, if they are heard and heeded. They teach a truth so powerful that they cannot be ignored. I want to look into these verses for a few moments today. I want to try and deliver the One Message You Cannot Afford To Ignore. Let’s look into the Parable of the Sower today; as we do, prepare to meet yourself in these words. Let’s hear, heed and honor the message Jesus wants to teach us today.

I. THE TASK OF THE SOWER

A. The Sower’s Identity – In the parable, the sower is a farmer who is broadcasting seed into his fields. According to Jesus and His interpretation of this parable in Mark 4:14; the “sower sows the word” of God. The sower pictured in the parable is a reference to Jesus, and by extension, to all those who preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am sowing at this very moment.

B. The Sower’s Intentions – As this farmer casts the seeds into his field, he does so with the hope that some will fall on good soil. He sows because he ultimately desires to reap a harvest. He casts his seed with the expectation of much more in return. The sower has one goal: to get his seed into the ground so the harvest can come.

The same is true with the seed of the Gospel message. It is sown into the field of the world with the prayer that it will fall on good hearts, take root and grow up to produce much fruit to the glory of the Lord. There are hearts in this room that received the seed of the Gospel at one time. That seed germinated in your heart, and reproduced within your soul. Now, your life is a fruitful testimony to the power of God’s saving grace. That is the intention of the Heavenly Sower, and that is my desire as I sow today.

C. The Sower’s Investment – The farmer must give something away before he can expect to receive anything in return. He takes the precious seed that he saved from the last harvest and he casts it into soil, hoping that it will produce a great harvest. The seed is all that the farmer has and he gives it away hoping to receive more in return.

This is what the Heavenly Sower did. Jesus gave His all so that there might be Gospel seed to cast into the soil of the human heart. He died on the cross and rose again, literally giving His all, knowing that some seed would fall on the good soil and that a great harvest would come back to Him. Jesus gave His all for you and for me so that we might have a Gospel to believe, Isa. 53:4-6, and that you might produce fruit for the glory of the Lord, Rom. 7:4.

The message we preach at this church is a message about a free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, John 6:37; Acts 16:31; John 6:47. However, while salvation may be free, it certainly was not cheap! It cost the glory of Heaven His life on the cross. He gave all that He had to give us a soul saving, life changing Gospel to preach and believe!

II. THE TREASURE OF THE SEED

(Ill. In Luke 8:11, Jesus identifies the seed as the “Word of God.” When the farmer walked into his field with his seed bag, he held in his hand a genuine treasure. He cast that treasure to the wind, hoping it would accomplish his desires.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus walked into this world with a treasure. He came to give men the Gospel of grace. When Jesus cast the seed of the Gospel into the shifting winds of this world, He did so with the sure knowledge that it would accomplish His purposes completely, Isa. 55:11.

Notice the treasure of the seed.)

A. It Holds Great Power – Life – Before the seed falls on the soil, the soil devoid of life. It lies there barren and empty. But, when the seed falls onto good soil and germinates, it always brings life to something that before was dead .