The Kingdom is Personal- Matthew 13:1-8; 18-22

-Jesus issues a personal invitation to each of us:

A pastor told the true story of one of his church members, an attorney, who after meditating on several scriptures, decided to cancel the debts of all his clients that had owed him money for more than six months. He drafted a letter explaining his decision and its biblical basis and sent 17 debt-canceling letters via certified mail. One by one, the letters began to return, unsigned and undelivered. Perhaps a couple people had moved away, though not likely. Sixteen of the seventeen letters came back to him because the clients refused to sign for and open the envelopes, fearing that this attorney was suing them for their debts.

I. To Listen to Him vv. 1-2

In our passage this morning, Jesus teaches a crowd of people who have gathered to hear Him

Jesus is many things, but one of the first titles that He wears is teacher

His followers first called Him Rabbi

He had a devoted group of disciples who followed Him and sought to learn from Him

In every kind of setting, we see Jesus instructing people on the Kingdom of God!

We must understand though, that Jesus is unlike any other kind of teacher

In Matthew 7, we saw that He did not teach as the other teachers, but as one with authority

He has that authority because He is both the Son of God, manifested before us in the flesh and,

The Logos of God, His Word revealed to us

Make no mistake about it, when Jesus speaks, God has spoken!

Shortly after joining the Navy, the new recruit asked his officer for a pass so he could attend a wedding. The officer gave him the pass, but informed the young man he would have to be back by 7 p.m. Sunday. "You don't understand, sir," said the recruit. "I'm in the wedding."

"No, you don't understand," the officer shot back. "You're in the Navy!".

II. To Learn from Him vv. 3-8

Jesus teaches and He uses a special kind of story that is called a parable

Some have called this an earthly story with a heavenly meaning

This is true, but there is a bit more to it than that

What is important about a parable?

Picture- it gives a vivid image from everyday life to explain a Kingdom principle

Personal- every parable is about Him and about us.

Pivot- every parable gives us an opportunity to turn from our current way of living to align with the Kingdom

At one of my churches, I was able to team with a great guy named Mike who helped lead our Buildings and Grounds team after we faced major damages from a hurricane. It felt like every day we faced a new challenge, something was wrong, or there was something upsetting taking place. Mike was an old engineer though and he had the right attitude: “Pastor, I’ve got a fresh opportunity for us today.” That’s what this moment is for you, it’s an opportunity to live differently.

III. To Live in Him vv. 18-23

Jesus describes 4 different kinds of plants:

The Unrealized plant vv. 18-19

This is the plant that might have been

Unfortunately, the seed was rejected and taken away

This is the life marked by unbelief and a refusal to receive the Word

The Unstable plant vv. 20-21

This plant never grows deep roots, because the Word never gets far past the surface of the soil

There are no roots that allow it to deal with persecution and suffering when they inevitably come

This is the life that is derailed by disappointment, because the Word never made it into the depths of their heart

The Unfruitful plant v. 22

This plant is quite different; the Word goes deep, but it never gets exclusive priority

There is a serious competition here for the heart’s affection and the promising life of the plant is choked out

It has a worldly perspective

It is pursuing riches and success

This is a life that doesn’t suffer from persecution, but the danger of prosperity

The Understanding plant v. 23

The final plant is the model for us all: it bears much fruit

We need to understand that Jesus would not expect this plant to be the exception, but the rule for His followers

The notion of fruitless Christian living does not exist in Christ’s teaching

The critical description of this plant was that the person heard and understood the Word. What is their to understand?

That Jesus is both Savior and Lord

If He is Savior, there is no reason for doubt and despair

If He is Lord, there is no reason for mediocre obedience or mixed allegiances

Your life will be as fruitful as it is settled in Him; He is the source of our forgiveness, but He is also our provision, and our direction!

What do you see when you look at your life?

Now is a time to consider which one looks like you

Now is the time to do something about it: Repent and believe

A pastor in California was giving an invitation at the end of his Sunday morning message when a five-year old boy, sensing the invitation of the Holy Spirit came down the aisle. Not knowing if the boy was old enough to understand salvation, the pastor took him to his office and began to ask some theological questions. The more he questioned, the more confused the boy became. Finally, in exasperation, the little fellow stopped and innocently pleaded, “Pastor Patterson, in your message this morning you said that if I would come and ask Jesus to save me—He would! Now, did you really mean that or not?”

The pastor said, “I didn’t ask him any more questions after that.” He helped the boy to respond to God’s invitation by inviting Jesus Christ to be his Saviour.