Matthew 13:1-9

Don’t worry about seeing the fruit of evangelism just rest in God because he is in control. His ways are higher then our ways. Welcome to respecting the word where the goal is to apply scripture biblically to our lives. I have to first mentioned thank you for the prayers. My wife is doing really really good. She does more and more everyday.

So do you worry about the fruit of your evangelism? I know I do and I would like to see some fruit from it and when I think I have and it possibly turns out to be bad fruit. I get excited when someone comes back to me saying they are saved and then later they fall away. That is what I have been seeing for a long time now. I start questioning myself if I’m doing something wrong. I have to remember it is not I who can raise the dead but Jesus who does the saving of raising the dead because none seeks after God. I can’t make people seek after God, ever. So here we have the parable of the sower.

Matthew 13:1–10 (LSB)

On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. ( We see Jesus here going out to the people and not staying in the upper room waiting for them to come to him back to the scripture. We need to meet people where they are like Jesus).

And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. (Sound carries across the water really good)

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; ( The sower is the Christian and the seed is the Gospel)

and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.

“And others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.

“But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

“And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.

“And others fell on the good soil and were yielding a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

“He who has ears, let him hear.”

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

Sometimes we use parable to bring humanistic understanding. Like for instance when you are explaining judgement to people. Most do not get it because they have been taught Jesus is love and when they die Jesus will forgive them of their sins so we have to take them before a good judge parable to get them to understand. Meaning if they are guilty of murder in this world and they go before a good judge that judge will throw them into prison for a long time. That makes more sense to people but with parable Jesus didn’t explain and knew they wouldn’t understand it. The parable was for the disciples only to hear and understand. They were being trained in the ministry. So Jesus explains the parable.

Matthew 13:18–23 (LSB)

“Hear then the parable of the sower.

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

“And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; (Joy is a sign of a false convert. A joyful person isn’t sad over their sins they heard the Gospel wrong or heard a water down gospel)

yet he has no root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. (How many of you experience this in life over and over still? Back and forth out of church trying your best? or who use to do this but finally Christ saved you??)

“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (This is the seed I see the most when I evangelize and at the same time this could be us in the past)

“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” ( This is where we all who a rive have been saved. The Gospel was preached the seed was planted and it grew in good soil. The seed grew slow and had strong roots and of a sudden our world came tumbling down. Our love for sin disappeared. The sin we loved is now gone. We see ourselves for the wrath filled sinner we were. The pride is gone from us. We are humbling thanking Jesus for saving us. We know we don’t deserve to be saved. )

1 cor 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.”

Here we see that people who witness to us one way or another and then at the end God caused the increase in us. Faithful servants of God cared about us causing us to seek God. Looking for the truth and that truth turned out to be Christ. How many religions have some of you joined trying out their flavor or even cults because they claimed they were going to heaven? We see back down that path that God brought us through to him. The ones who are listening have you wondered why God would start you in a cult? It was for his glory. How was it for his glory you may ask? Wait till you are out evangelizing and you come across someone else who was raised in a cult and then you will understand. That person may not talk to anyone else but you because you both have a understanding of what it is like to be raised in a cult and you now have the chance to witness to her that no one else was able to do. That person may hate God at this point in life. They didn’t understand the Gospel before maybe because it was so twisted and out of shape and they couldn’t hold to the standard of works that was piled on it but now you have the honor to point them to Jesus. I had this same experience. I was thinking to myself outside a Trump rally “Why God did you raise me in a cult?” and next person I walked up to who was wearing a planned parenthood shirt had also been raised in a cult and then it hit me why i was raised in a cult and I got the chance to witness to her. Side note we don’t have a planned parent hood in that state. I didn’t debate her on abortion. I always go for the Gospel. So whoever has had a up bad upbringing and God saved you take your testimony to others and use it to proclaim the Gospel. What someone meant for bad God can use for good. Just watch a video about Christians coming out of a cult and they are helping others to come out. There is hope for them.

Back to 1 Cor 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” and focus on that God causes the increase and not us. We plant the seed and it is up to Jesus what he does with them. We come by and water it more and God causes the increase. So we should sit back and try to relax when witnessing and proclaim the Gospel.

So something to think about is which seed are you or were you? How many times did you believe you were saved and the world came down on you and you went back to the world? How many times you get on fire for Jesus with joy and go back into the world within a week or so? How may times you were “Trying to be a good person” or “trying to be a Christian” and gave up in a week? How many times did we not understand the word and put it back down and went back to world? I know many times when I was young trying to read the Bible and not understanding. How many times did you say I’ll get right with God and start going back to church and not knowing that this isn’t how this Christian stuff works and of course you stop going to church again? So who of you are struggling and trying to reach God and keep failing? So lets see where you stand before God on Judgement day. Which seed are you? Are you still living for sin? Have you lied? Have you lusted? Jesus said if lust after someone it is adultery within the heart. Have you stolen? If you have that makes you a thief. Have you hated someone? Jesus said if you hate someone it is murder within the heart. If you admitted of breaking any of these laws you are heading to hell unless you are perfect and kept them all. So if you find your self guilty before a holy God on judgment day you should be scared. God hates sin and sinner because both will be sent to hell. Let me repeat not just the sin but also the sinner. So please repent and put your faith in Christ alone and he will save you from hell and God’s wrath. Hell is the jail for the sinner who didn’t repent. It is a life sentence for the nonbeliever. You can’t get out in a year. For the ones who go to hell would rather be in the prison in Russia. So evaluate yourself and make sure you are in the faith. Not realizing how big of sinner you are drives you from Jesus. Knowing how big of a sinner you are drives you to Jesus.

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Now serve our God.