Members Get Parables

ME Intro (A hook):

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is like a free all you can eat buffet of your favorite food.

Let’s say there is an endless supply of meat loaf and mac n cheese down at the fairgrounds.

I pick meat loaf and mac n cheese,

Because that is our friend, Mason Barker’s favorite food.

And he is joining us online this morning,

Because he had brain surgery up in Syracuse this week,

So, he is going to be in the hospital for the next couple of weeks.

We’re praying for you Mason!

But since meat loaf and mac n cheese is Mason’s favorite food.

Picture this huge buffet of delicious meat loaf and mac n cheese.

You are just going to town on all that creamy, cheesy, mac!

Mixed with that perfectly seasoned,

Perfectly cooked meat loaf.

But it is only going to be there for a short while.

All that meat loaf and mac is good news!

You’ve gotta tell as many people as you can about this good news!

You’ve gotta tell everyone about this mac n cheese and meat loaf!

Why wouldn’t you tell others?

Don’t just keep this news to yourself!

I would be so upset to find out that I missed out on all that mac and cheese and meat loaf!

That is what the gospel of Jesus Christ is like.

Let’s call this the parable of meat loaf and mac n cheese.

I begin this morning by sharing this parable.

Because in Matt. 13, Members Get Parables from Jesus.

Not just in the since that we receive parables,

But as His members,

We get them,

We understand them,

They take root in our heart,

And reveal to us truths about Jesus and His message.

Slide

So, our outline for this passage will be a little different:

Questions About Parables (Vs. 1-3, 10-17, & 34-35)

Truths From Parables (Vs. 4-9, 18-33, & 36-52)

Applying the Parables

Let the parables change your perception.

At first glance,

Matthew 13 is a somewhat perplexing chapter.

Jesus is talking about people sowing seeds and catching fish.

But this chapter actually teaches us several keys to understanding our lives.

Because these stories Jesus tells,

Are parables centered on the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven.

And these parables need to be both understood and believed,

So, that we will follow Jesus more faithfully,

And live as members of His Kingdom.

So, when it comes to understanding the parables Jesus gives,

Members must simply ask,

“What does this mean, and why is it important?”

WE Questions About Parables (Vs. 1-3, 10-17, & 34-35) (Why does this matter to us?):

Slide

By the time we get to ch. 13,

The crowds gathering around Jesus continue to grow.

So, much so that while Jesus was just sitting by the sea in vs. 1,

He had to get into a boat,

And set out a little ways,

So, that the entire crowd could hear Him teach.

This teaching is the third major teaching section from Jesus in Matthew.

And it fits in the broader context of the entire Gospel.

Remember, back in ch. 3, John the Baptist announced,

“Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near!”

Proclaiming that the King would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

And would judge the world,

Separating the wheat from the chaff.

This King was revealed as Jesus Christ,

The promised Messiah.

Now, here we are, ten chapters later,

And it seems like very little substantive change has happened.

Yes, Jesus has taught some powerful lessons,

He has healed a good amount of people,

But the religious people who supposedly believed in the same God,

Were standing up against Him.

So, people were…confused.

Was Jesus really the Messiah?

If so, why aren’t things shaping up the way we had hoped?

Why aren’t all the Jews rallying around Him?

Why isn’t He ushering in a kingdom the way we expect?

So, this big crowd is likely mixed with many people who are still confused.

And what does Jesus decide to do?

He decides to tell them stories.

Stories about farmers and weeds,

And bread and pearls.

Stories that meant something for this confused crowd,

And still mean something to our lives today.

Slide

To understand what these words mean,

We need to first ask some Questions About Parables.

The first question is,

What is a parable?

The term ‘parable’ can really have a broad range of meanings.

It literally means, “placing beside.”

It is used in a general sense to refer to a wide variety of figurative speech,

Especially for comparison when giving instruction.

This technique has been used by teachers since the earliest times.

And it was a central feature of Jesus’ teaching.

Over one third of His instructions were given by use of parables.

Jesus’s parables, most simply,

Are practical stories, framed as a comparison,

To teach spiritual truths.

Most of these parables are relatively clear,

Because they use what is familiar to convey truths that are unfamiliar.

But even the clear parables contain a depth of meaning that only members of Christ’s body can comprehend.

That is why in our passage this morning,

Jesus interprets some of His parables only to His disciples.

Those who don’t have the Spirit miss the deeper meaning,

Because they lack a proper relationship with God,

Which darkens their hearts and minds.

Slide

As Romans 1:21 explains it,

Romans 1:21 ESV

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Slide

This leads to the next question,

How do we understand parables?

This is such an important question because of the variety of misinterpretations people give for parables.

So, then, how do we understand parables,

So, that we are not abusing or misusing them?

To answer this question,

I have a list of basic principles that make understanding Christ’s parables a little bit easier.

First,

Understanding all the context,

Social, historical, cultural context helps us to understand the experience Jesus is trying to convey.

Second, look for the point(s) the parable is meant to teach.

Usually, there is one main point in any parable.

But based on the number of main characters or groups,

There may be two or three points.

However many there are,

We must try to identify the primary truth Jesus is communicating.

Third,

Listen from the audience’s perspective.

We must put ourselves in the shoes of the people who heard the parable first,

To understand what they were hearing.

The pictures Jesus uses are far more familiar to them,

Then they are to us 21st century Americans.

So, we must ask ourselves,

What would they hear?

What would stick out to them?

How would they respond?

What emotions would these stories stir up in them?

Fourth,

Look out for repetition.

If something is repeated in a parable it is most likely trying to stress a major point.

Fifth,

Identify the symbolism being employed.

For example,

God is often symbolized as a father, king, or shepherd in Christ’s parables.

These symbols communicate His character and His work.

Lastly,

The conclusion conveys the significance of the parable.

How does the parable end?

Who is the last person?

What is the last thing they did?

What is the last thing said in the parable?

Once we are able to discern these six principles,

We need to let the truth of the parable change our perception.

That is the whole point of parables!

Jesus was challenging the way people think about something.

We will come back to this point,

But it is vital we understand this!

Because our tendency is to let our perception change our understanding of the parables.

Slide

Which leads to our next question,

The same question the disciples ask in vs. 10-11,

Why do we have parables?

Why does Jesus speak in parables?

Why doesn’t He just state His point instead of telling these stories?

Jesus says there is a twofold purpose.

To reveal and to conceal.

First, Jesus says,

His members get parables,

We get the secrets of the kingdom of heaven,

We are able to know and understand parables.

Elsewhere, the Bible uses the word mystery to refer to something that was hidden in the OT,

But is now made known in the NT.

This is the idea of special revelation.

Romans 16:25 says the gospel of Jesus Christ is the mystery that was kept secret for long ages.

In Ephesians 1:9,

Paul calls it the mystery of God’s will,

A mystery that Eph. 3:3 says,

Was made known to Paul by revelation.

It was no secret that God was going to send a Messiah to usher in His kingdom.

The mystery, however,

Is that the Messiah would usher in the kingdom through selfless love and sacrificial death.

Rather than a political or physical conqueror.

So, parables help us to understand the type of Kingdom Jesus ushers in.

Members are greatly privileged to hear and understand the mysteries of the kingdom.

This privilege is evidence of God’s mercy.

Slide

As Jesus tells the disciples later in vs. 16-17,

Matthew 13:16–17 ESV

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Brothers and sisters,

This is God’s grace!

That as His members,

We get to know these mysteries about Him and His kingdom,

We get to understand these parables,

Because He gives us the understanding.

And this is purely by the mercy of God.

I remember struggling with this question in college,

Why would God enable us to see the forgiveness of the cross,

While it is foolishness to so many other people?

Is it because you are just so much better or smarter or more humble or more religious than all those people?

No!

It is only because God is merciful.

Because God has opened your eyes to see and your ears to hear.

Because God has blessed you to live in a time and place where we have the full revelation of God’s Word pointing to Christ.

Something that was a mystery to OT saints is now in our possession.

So, the parables serve to deepen this understanding of Jesus,

They nurture our relationship with Him.

This is how Jesus reveals the mystery to His members.

But He simultaneously conceals it from unbelievers.

Those who reject Christ,

Who refuse to believe in Him as the Messiah,

Are denying the obvious.

Despite seeing miracle after miracle,

Despite hearing teaching after teaching,

They still refuse to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Therefore, Jesus says that understanding of these parables has not been given to them.

Slide

In fact,

Jesus continues in vs. 12,

Any understanding they did have would be taken away.

Those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus,

Will grow more confused and ignorant from parables.

This is why,

Jesus says in vs. 13,

He speaks in parables.

Mark 4:12 says almost the same thing.

In Mark,

Jesus says He speaks in parables so that seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear.

Matthew says Jesus uses parables because unbelievers don’t understand.

While Mark says Jesus uses parables to prevent unbelievers from understanding.

Both Gospels are true.

Jesus explains how this is what Isaiah 6:9-10 prophesied.

Throughout Matthew,

Many people saw Christ’s miracles,

But refused to believe in Him.

They heard what He taught,

But they didn’t understand it.

Therefore, Jesus knew parables would not be understood,

So, He continues to use them throughout His ministry.

Some have criticized Jesus as being harsh for this.

And while we can’t fully comprehend,

The reality is,

This indicates God’s sovereignty.

Yet, Jesus reinforces the fact that we are responsible for believing or not.

This is the mysterious tension of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.

But what we’re seeing is that right in the middle of this tension,

Are parables.

So, parables are evidence of God’s judgment.

They harden the hearts and minds of those who are unwilling to repent.

Slide

Jesus concludes this twofold purpose of parables,

One final time by quoting Psalm 78:2 in vs. 35.

But the Psalm refers to parables as dark sayings.

Because they recite the history of God’s redemption of His people,

Climaxing with God’s choice for David to shepherd the nation of Israel.

So, Jesus’ point in quoting this Psalm,

Is to highlight How it is not so much that God hid His redemptive events.

It is more that the meaning of these events were not obvious.

So, likewise,

Jesus is revealing the meaning of God’s redemptive work through parables.

Slide

The final question about parables is related to the subject of these parables.

Which Jesus plainly states is the Kingdom!

Here, He calls it the Kingdom of heaven,

Other parts of the Bible call it the Kingdom of God.

But in Matthew,

The term Kingdom of Heaven is used 32 times.

So, it is clearly an important part of Christ’s message.

The kingdom is the focus of God’s purpose for world history.

It refers to His rule and reign over all of creation in Christ.

In the OT,

God declared that He would do this through His chosen King.

Dan. 4:34-35 adds that this kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

The kingdom represents a golden age of blessing.

And when Jesus came,

The Kingdom came with Him.

This is what John the Baptist was preaching.

The coming judgment,

The need for repentance,

And the good news of salvation.

God’s kingdom is redemptive by nature.

His healings and casting out of demons demonstrate this.

Jesus came to overthrow sin and Satan,

Redeeming sinners through Himself.

In one sense,

The kingdom is an already present reality.

The King has come,

His kingdom is advancing.

That’s what we have been reading here in Matthew.

God’s rule and reign is already being asserted redemptively through Christ.

So, there is a very real sense that the kingdom is already present.

But there is also a sense in which it is not yet fully present.

Because the King is coming back,

And His kingdom will come one day in its fullness.

This is a main theme of the parables Jesus teaches.

The growth of the kingdom,

The joy of the kingdom,

And the future reality of the kingdom.

After His death and resurrection,

Just before ascending to heaven,

To sit on His throne,

Jesus gives the Great Commission,

Saying all authority on heaven and earth has been given to Him.

Then, the rest of the NT involves the disciples bringing people into the kingdom,

Proclaiming the redemptive rule and reign of God in Christ.

Then, at the very end of the Bible,

Jesus is called the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Today, we are the subjects of His kingdom,

Living in the era of salvation from sin.

Called to proclaim the same redemptive rule as the disciples in the NT.

But this present state is only the beginning,

When the kingdom comes in its richest sense,

Those who receive the word of Christ,

Who put their destiny in His hands,

Will find mercy,

Dwelling in the new heaven and new earth,

Where there is no sin and suffering.

While we wait for that day,

Jesus has tasked us,

To proclaim His kingdom,

And to manifest the reality of kingdom life in our lives.

But He has not left us to do this on our own.

He has poured out His Holy Spirit on us,

Making this new way of living a reality for us.

So, we, the members of Christ’s body,

Are a global fellowship called to global evangelism.

And that is the kingdom of heaven.

GOD Truths From Parables (Vs. 4-9, 18-33, & 36-52) (Teach the text):

Slide

Now that we have answered these questions about parables,

Hopefully, it will be easier to see the truths from these parables.

These parables are organized in such a masterful way,

They give a clear structure and clear overlap in meaning,

Showing how the parables relate to one another.

As a result,

We see a picture of God’s kingdom that defies human expectation.

So, with this in mind,

Let’s first look at the parable of the sower.

The parable of the sower is really more about the soil.

Because the soil is the key variable.

The sower and the seed are consistently the same throughout the story.

We don’t have to wonder what point Jesus is trying to get across,

Jesus explains this parable in vs. 18-23.

Slide

Soil represents the human heart.

The first three types of soil are those who reject Jesus in varying ways,

Only the last type of soil are genuine members.

The person sowing the seeds is Jesus.

And the seeds are the gospel.

So, today,

Jesus indirectly proclaims His message of salvation through His body,

The church!

So, Jesus is teaching how the problem is not with the Sower,

Nor is the problem with the seed,

The problem is with the soil,

The human heart.

The first kind of soil is a hard heart.

This is the soil along the path where birds snatch away the seed.

This represents those who hear the message but reject it,

And the devil comes and just snatches the good news of the kingdom away.

The second kind of soil is the superficial heart,

This is the rocky ground.

This kind of heart receives the message,

And initially responds to the message,

But no root enables it to grow and develop.

Because this person has no root,

Their joy is short-lived.

When distress or persecution comes,

That person immediately falls away.

It is what has become known as “easy-believism.”

Where someone gets told to just pray and prayer and they will be saved.

But then,

As time passes,

It becomes clear,

They never truly received the message of the kingdom,

They failed to trust in Christ as their Lord and Savior in their heart.

It is a truly sad scenario that has played out across church history.

George Whitfield is described as one of the most passionate and powerful preachers of the First Great Awakening.

He used to preach to massive crowds,

Thousands of people,

Who were greatly affected by his evangelistic message.

After his sermons,

He was often asked how many people he thinks were saved,

He would always respond,

“We will see in a few years.”

His point was not so much that we need to earn salvation.

Rather, it just takes time for that salvation to be displayed.

This was a very different approach from what we hear today,

Where we share “decisions” like they are stats on our evangelist cards.

Jesus’ teaching on a superficial heart here warns us of the need to be careful about this.

Slide

The third heart is the divided heart.

A divided heart hears the Word,

But there is simply no room for it.

Because the cares of the world,

And the desire to accumulate wealth are too consuming.

This is not an anti-wealth teaching.

Because wealth is a blessing from God.

But the Bible does repeatedly warn about the dangers of this blessing.

Because the want for wealth can be so captivating.

Especially in our western world today.

We live in so much prosperity compared to the rest of the world.

So, we must watch out for the cares of this world,

That our hearts don’t get seduced and choked out by it.

There is a subtle danger to the imagery of thorns.

Because they do not choke out a plant suddenly.

It is an almost unnoticeable, gradual choking.

The desire for money and things have the same affect on our hearts.

But there is a fourth kind of soil.

Jesus says this is good soil.

It is a fruitful heart.

A fruitful heart hears the Word, understands, believes, then bears fruit.

It is the only type of heart that bears fruit.

Now, there are varying levels of fruit from person to person.

Some yield 30, others 60, and others 100-fold.

But it is fruit nonetheless,

Fruit that will be evident in a person’s life.

So, the question is,

What kind of heart do you have?

Are you rejecting the message of the kingdom?

Did you just pray a prayer one day,

But it has no real meaning or bearing on your life?

I plead with you today,

Trust in Christ as your Lord and Savior.

If you have done this already.

Then be a vessel through which Christ sows the seed of the Gospel in the lives of others.

Spread His message of salvation.

Maybe you are a parent of grandparent,

And you have children or grandchildren who are rebellious.

Perhaps you have a spouse who is hardened toward the Gospel,

Maybe you have friends or coworkers who just don’t seem to care about the Gospel,

Or you might find yourself in a difficult context where there seems to be no receptivity to the Gospel.

In all these circumstances,

Jesus message is the same,

Keep sowing seeds.

Yes, there is an adversary looking to snatch that seed away,

Yes, there will continue to be worries and wealth keeping people from this message.

Regardless,

Jesus says,

Keep sowing seeds.

Pray,

Trust,

And hope that the Lord of the harvest will bring about the fruit of the gospel.

Slide

Next, we are going to look at the parables of the weeds and the net side by side.

Because the point of these two parables are almost identical,

And both build off the parable of the sower.

In the parable of the weeds,

Wheat is side by side with weeds in a field.

The word translated as weeds is actually a specific kind of weed called a darnel.

Which is a plant that closely resembles wheat as it grows.

But instead of being edible,

It is poisonous.

So deadly, in fact,

Roman law prohibited darnel from being sowed in another’s field.

The other problem with darnel is its root system,

Which intertwines with the other crops around it.

So, it is an aggressively invasive weed,

Making it nearly impossible to uproot it without damaging the crops around it.

Nonetheless, the servants ask the master if he wants them to pull the weeds up.

Seems like a pretty understandable question.

This is basically the same thing the Jews were asking.

The wheat represents the people of God.

The weeds are the unrighteous.

So, the Jews,

Assuming they are righteous,

Want Jesus to start uprooting all the weeds,

All the unrighteous around them.

Slide

But like the owner of the field,

Jesus said that time has not come yet.

So, wait.

He does not want the workers to uproot the wheat as they are pulling out the weeds.

Instead, let the weeds and wheat grow together.

Then, come harvest time,

The weeds will be removed first,

And face judgment.

After that,

The wheat will be gathered into His barn.

If judgment time were to come early,

Wheat that could be spared would be destroyed.

Jesus explains this once He is alone with His disciples in vs. 36-43.

Slide

And He does not mince words regarding this judgment.

It will be a day of terrifying condemnation for those who don’t trust in Christ.

He says they will be burned in a blazing furnace,

Where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

He is talking about being cast into hell.

An eternal punishment that is described as an unquenchable fire elsewhere.

But for Christ’s members,

It will be a day of triumphant celebration.

Jesus says we will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of God, our Father.

He is saying we will radiate God’s glory forever and ever.

This day is one of great dread for those who don’t trust in Christ,

But one that evokes great joy for those who do.

Slide

The parable of the net essentially reiterates the same truth about final judgment.

So, clearly, this is a point worth emphasizing for Jesus.

Judgment is coming.

And judgment is inevitable.

On judgment day,

All of humankind will be divided into one of two categories.

For the hard, superficial, or divided hearts that reject Jesus,

They will experience an unimaginable eternal wrath.

But those who trust in Him,

Will experience equally unimaginable eternal glory.

So, both the parable of the weeds and the parable of the net,

Remind us that this judgment is inevitable.

So, again, what are you?

Are you a weed?

Or are you wheat?

Your answer makes an eternal difference.

Slide

Back in vs. 31-33,

Jesus teaches another two parables with similar points.

The mustard seed illustrates how outwardly the kingdom expands from something insignificant to something extravagant.

The Messiah came to usher in the kingdom.

Yet during the time of Christ’s ministry,

The kingdom seemed so small,

So, insignificant,

Especially compared to the might of Rome,

And the expectations of people.

So, Jesus picks the smallest seed they would know,

A mustard seed.

And essentially says,

Yes,

This is a small beginning for the kingdom.

But like a mustard tree can grow up over 10 feet tall,

Filled with fruitful branches,

Where birds can take refuge,

So, too will the kingdom grow into something extravagant!

I mean,

The beginning of the kingdom is even more humble than most of these people even realized.

Remember the birth of Christ,

A baby in a manger,

Surrounded by sheep and cattle,

Then being exiled to Egypt as a young child.

He went on to start the church with this small inept group of disciples,

Who go on to turn the world virtually upside down.

So, much so that we today have been impacted by their witness,

Thousands of year’s later,

And thousands of miles away.

We are a part of the same Kingdom they were proclaiming.

A kingdom that remains alive and stronger today,

That will continue to grow to every tribe, tongue, and nation.

A Kingdom that started as a mustard seed.

Slide

But not only does the kingdom advance outwardly,

It advances inwardly permeating every corner of our lives and this world.

This is what Jesus teaches in the parable of the yeast.

Leaven and yeast are used as a symbol repeatedly throughout the Bible.

More often than not, however,

It is used to symbolize evil.

But here,

Jesus is using it in a positive sense.

Yeast transforms bread from the inside out.

Just a little bit will spread to every part of the dough.

On a person to person level,

The kingdom begins as a seed in your heart,

Then slowly works its way into your thoughts,

Your beliefs,

Your affections,

Your motives,

And your actions.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Then it works through you,

Into the lives of others and others.

The kingdom is slowly advancing through the whole world,

To the ends of the earth.

Slide

Jesus shifts to the parables of the treasure and the pearl in vs. 44-46.

This parable was given during a time when people didn’t really safety deposit boxes.

So, it wasn’t that uncommon for people to bury their valuable possessions in a remote place.

In Christ’s parable,

The owner seemingly forgot he had buried his treasure in this field.

So, when the man who found it wanted it,

He sold everything he had to buy this field,

Because he knew that treasure was worth more than everything he owned put together.

Others thought he was crazy.

Because they could not see the value.

But he wasn’t.

In fact,

He was both wise and happy!

Because he found something worth losing everything for.

The pearl communicates the same idea.

The people in these parables understand the value of the kingdom.

They are willing to sacrifice anything to obtain the kingdom.

There is a great reward for trusting in Christ,

A reward that is greater than everything this world offers.

Slide

This is what Paul expressed in Phil. 3:8,

Philippians 3:8 ESV

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Jesus and His Kingdom is better than money, health, strength,

Even our own families.

Christ is so satisfying,

That if you were to lose everything in this world,

But still get the kingdom,

You would still be pleased.

And there is nothing that can take away this treasure.

Because of this,

We must joyfully let go of all things,

To passionately take hold of this single most important thing.

Jesus teaches that you will lose much for following Him,

You may even lose your life in this world.

But you will receive 100 times more,

And will inherit eternal life.

So, we come to Christ,

Not just because He offers such a great reward,

But because He is a great reward.

Slide

Lastly, Jesus ends this section with the parable of the homeowner.

He talks about a master of a house who brings out all of his treasures,

Both new and old.

He says that this describes a scribe,

A student who has been trained for the kingdom,

And understands it.

So, Jesus makes two primary points of comparison.

First, is the treasure being brought out.

The secrets of the old covenant are being revealed in the new covenant.

Just as a homeowner has valuables in their home from both the past and the present,

The disciples know there is value in both the old and new.

They don’t reject God’s revelation from the past,

They value and treasure it.

At the same time,

They understand God’s past revelation,

In light of God’s present revelation,

The revelation of Christ as the fulfillment of all that God promised.

So, Jesus equipped these first disciples to become teachers,

Sharing the treasure they received,

Showing how all redemptive history points to Christ.

And like these original disciples,

Jesus does not want us to just learn for our benefit or personal gain.

Members of Christ’s body are not just students,

We become teachers of the Word.

This is our task,

We proclaim the good news of the Kingdom to every person and people group on the planet.

We declare that Jesus is King!

That He died on the cross to reconcile us to God.

Calling people to trust in His rule in their lives,

And telling them of the glorious hope of His coming Kingdom.

YOU Applying the Parables (Response):

Christ teaches that His parables are meant to change your perception,

Instead of allowing your perception to interpret His parables.

Since we have been applying the parables along the way,

Let’s end with two general ways we can be applying Christ’s parables.

Slide

First and foremost,

If you have not already done so,

Humbly and joyfully receive the message of the kingdom.

Let go of your guilt,

Let go of your shame.

Leave behind the pleasures and pursuits of possessions in this world.

Christ is worth losing everything for.

So, receive His mercy,

Trust in His good and gracious will for your life.

Don’t harden your heart toward Him.

Because Jesus warns of a horrific judgment if you do.

WE (Paint a picture of the future):

For you who are members of Christ’s body,

Jesus says you get parables.

So, confidently and urgently spread His message.

The net of God’s judgment is quietly moving through all of humankind.

And a day is coming,

When God will draw His nets to the shores of eternity,

To separate every person either to eternal life or eternal death.

We know this judgment is coming.

So, pray, plead, and proclaim.

We must be vessels through which Christ sows the seed of the Gospel,

That way people around us will know the Good news of the Kingdom.

Pray.