The Real Reason for Parables

I. Introduction

1. Prayers

2. Scripture memory

Romans 8:25 ESV

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

What are some big mistakes you can make gardening?

The soil does matter...

I think I thought you drop it in and it’s fine

Review of the book

Whole book

What is the purpose of Luke from Luke 1:3-4?

Luke 1:3–4 ESV

it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Last time we saw how

Jesus was supported by a number of women who made him able to do what He does

And here, we have him doing just that… teaching the truth

Now we get to one of the most recognizable teaching of Jesus

No everyone believes because God must change the soil

1) Jesus preaches in parables to conceal (4, 9-10)

i. Explanation

A crowd gathers

People are coming from all over to see Jesus

we do not know where he is right now, but he has been spending a lot of time in Galille, so they’re probably coming from there and from afar

Thus, this crowd is not just His disciples, but includes critics and people who just want to see, but aren’t really interested

According to Matthew 13:2 and Mark 4:1, Jesus taught the crowds from a boat that was just offshore

Jesus taught in Parables

Why do people often associate parables with Jesus?

Actually, the four Gospels record more discourses (at least forty-five) than parables (thirty-nine,

So this is not some better teaching method

What is a parable?

One theologian wrote they are “figurative narrative, true to life, designed for the teaching purpose of conveying some specific spiritual truth, usually (or always) relative to the kingdom program of God”

So they are stories that could be real life and were teaching about the kingdom of God

And you might think… they’re supposed to be so understandable…

Parables are simple, memorable, and entertaining. Most are rather easy to understand. They deal with everyday matters such as farming, fishing, travel, money, and human dynamics

but they can be confusing

Matthew is a little more straightforward in his timeline

Almost no parables had been spoken before Matthew 13, so when Christ began to use parables in a cluster, the disciples were curious. "Why in the world are you teaching in parables?"

In luke 8:9 the same question is asked as in every gospel

Disciples means more than just the 12 as Mark makes explicit

They are confused and would like Jesus to explain

Do you ever feel confused by what you see in scripture? How could we ask Jesus?

John Macarthur writes

How to Study the Bible VI. Those Who Are Prayerful

I believe our Bible study must be born out of prayer. When I study the Bible I pray this simple prayer: “Lord, as I approach your Word, show me Your truth and teach me what I must know.” I would never approach the Scripture without first seeking God in prayer.

Jesus answers there and here by quoting Isaiah 6:9-10

Isaiah 6:8–12 ESV

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

The meaning is that God’s people had hardened their hearts so that they could not hear him; God thus chose to harden them further (what some have called “penal blindness”) by sending them his message anyway

The disciples had been given the ability to know the secret

What tense is that, been given?

It is passive, meaning they didn’t do anything to earn

The secret is the word mystery, meaning something that was hidden but has been reaveled like a good mystery novel where everything is clear in the end

The old testament had the promise of the kingdom coming through the suffering servant messiah

but did they know who he was or how he would save the world from their sins?

Again, like a good mystery novel, there were hints

The prophets were laying out the need for the new covenant

They said it was coming

But know we see it

But the reminder get parables

The purpose of parables

To reveal truth to those God has revealed the truth (Matthew 13:10-13)

To conceal truth from those who still deny the truth (Matthew 13:10-13)

To fulfill prophecy (Isaiah 6:9-10)

ii. Illustration

1. Parables exist to conceal

Too often we get frustrated how hard they are because we think that they should be easy

But that is like children getting upset that someone playing hide and seek cannot be found… that’s the whole purpose to make it hard to find

Parables are to reveal if we will follow after God.

iii. Application questions

1. How do we get parables wrong?

2. How can we be humbled by the reality that God is sovereign not only in salvation, but in every area of spiritual enlightenment?

Let’s talk about what jesus actually said now

2. Jesus preaches in parables to reveal (4, 9-10)

1. The word always works (5a, 11)

a sower is a person who scatters the seed with a certain motion with the right now to make a uniform pattern

He might seem a little inaccurate and wasteful because we plant with precision, burying a single seed in dirt

But this is not the method of the ancient world, but instead two people would work together

One would throw seed

the second would plow to bury it sot it would sprout in the moist of dirt

One didn’t go out and plough the field, and then, once the furrows had been carefully measured, go and deposit the seeds in the ploughed ground. On the contrary, the seed was sown first, and then the plough was brought across the land, ploughing it into the soil.

Jesus explains in seed is the word of God

So, if seed is the word of God, who is the sower?

The preacher is the messenger, not the creator of the message… the sower, not the source

Thus we say that preacher is just the waiter, delivering the spiritual food as pastor Yurie does

The point is not how to change the fields, but that preaching of God’s words should go to all

Do you see anywhere in this section where he says plow or clear the field?

I don’t think so, the point is that Jesus is preaching, but some are not listening

Notice it is The same old enemies- The world, the flesh, and the devil

We start with the devil

2. Those stolen by the devil (5b, 12)

But this sower took this seed and some fell on the road

Roads or access paths would exist where people would travel or farmers would access fields

Once the seed landed on this ground, they would be crushed into the it or one of the many types of birds would eat the seed

But Jesus tells us in verse that the birds are the devil

His strategy is the same as it has been since the garden

He says God is not good, and that he is not for us… grabbing that seed and saying it is not for them

If faith comes from hearing the word of God, Satan wants to stop the hearing

Even for believers

Bryan Chapel in Holiness by grace writes Satan wants to rob us of confidence in our acceptance by God on the basis of Christ’s righteousness alone, knowing that the freedom, joy, and courage provided by the unyielding love of God unleashes the Spirit’s power in our lives.

That is one test for real spiritual activity because the devil would never allow someone to take the word of God more seriously.

roman catholic church doesn’t really read the bible

Bill Gothard used the bible out of context, but lept from it mostly taught from experiences and stories

So, any true revival will bring people deeper into God’s word, not remove us from God’s word

The lie that kee

Next we have

3. Those tempted away by the world (6, 13) (by the world)

as he throws, some fall on rocks

The first task of any farmer in Israel is to clear the fields of stones. This process must be repeated each year at the time of plowing

But that is hard because the land is very rocky

So, why doesn’t the plant live?

there is no room for the roots to get the moisture they need

Jesus explains these are people who grow up fast

They make a profession of faith and want to follow Jesus… they show up to church and are excited

What could be other signs of quick growth?

But then they face trials

These trials can be used to show genuine believers true faith as they push through

1 Peter 1:6–7 ESV

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

But they also expose the shallowness of those who do not have faith

They didn’t really want Jesus, but they wanted Jesus to give them something

The world beats them up and they give up on jesus

What are some trials that cause people to lose their faith?

Instead, those with solids faith look at the words of Peter

1 Peter 4:12–14 ESV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

What are the blessing of trials?

POD Issues and Answers TRIALS: Why do Christians experience suffering in this life?

Suffering for righteousness sake is part of normal Christian living. Far from removing suffering, our salvation guarantees

POD Issues and Answers TRIALS: Why do Christians experience suffering in this life?

Thankfully, along with the promise of suffering, God promises us His presence and a lasting reward. And because of those precious truths, you can respond with hope—in complete contrast to the despairing outlook that plagues the unbeliev

Trials will bring us near God, so it will be worth it to know His presence better.

People ignore God’s word because of the devil, because of the world, and 3rd, because of their own flesh

4. Those lured away by the flesh (7, 14)

Thorn bushes are everywhere, just go in the back parking lot

They’re annoying to us, but really helpful to the plants as The prickly armor of these plants not only protects them from being destroyed by the indiscriminate grazing of goats, camels, and donkeys, but also reduce loss of water during dry periods

The problem is that because they are so good at thriving, they grow alongside the desired plants

So they choke out the plant with their thorns

Jesus explains these are people who don’t have their desires met

the cares are the things they are anxious about… needs

Riches are stuff they can get, the wants

The pleasures of life the tings that bring pleasure or joy

are any of these things explicit sin?

No, but they lead to it when we say I need this

james 4:1-3 “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

Step 1 is desire-

These are good, God-given desires. At their basic desire, they’re not sinful and that’s the key in understanding idolatry. Things like love, respect, safety, security, acceptance, Godly family, marriage, children, provide for family,

Step 2 is I expect

“I want” or “I need” these desires to be met in order to be happy, fulfilled, pleased, etc., in life

This leads it I judge-

Because idols demand a sacrifice and that we’re living for our mini-kingdom, we play the judge and issue a verdict that needs to be carried out because our functional idol (desires) did not get satisfied.

So we punish

Because our idols (desires) didn’t get satisfied, we say, “because you did (or did not) meet my desires, I will respond by going after them

Having desires are not the problem, but being more important than Jesus is

They didn’t really want Jesus, but they wanted Jesus to give them something

So their fruit doesn’t mature or become ripe and isn’t good

And instead we should want Jesus to be king over us… to listen to him

Christians too have desires, sometimes good ones like

I want to be married

I want good kids

I want good health

I want to be useful

The problem is when these good desires become God in our life, we don’t just want them, we NEED them

The solution is hard but simple

We ask ourselves what do they offer

The desires being god lead to sin and death

Jesus calls us to spiritual sacrifice but promises us all things and eternal life

preach to ourselves… I need to trust Jesus

Tell Put these desires under Jesus, with an open hand, Jesus can do what he wants with them

Summary

1.Know your desires

2.Why do desires become demands?

3.Repent!

4.Ask God to forgive the desire replacing Him

5.Prayerfully submit these desires back to Jesus Christ

elements of carnality still plague the new Christian . The same can be said of the mature believer . But so long as God’s people continue to repent and cling to Christ for growth in grace , they are not carnal in the Pauline sense . They are going forward — sometimes only creeping on hands and knees — but they are not sliding backward like stubborn brute beast. Repentance (C. John Miller)

Any questions?

How are Christians vulnerable throughout their lives to the choking effect of ‘cares, riches and pleasures’?

So what does Fruit look like?

5. Those who grow by the spirit who reveals (8, 15)

Good soil does exist

and what does it produce?

100x. Mark gives us various, but here is the short version

their heart is honest and good because God has given them a heart of flesh

These will be humble people who know they are not better soil because of themselves, but because fo God

Titus 3:5 ESV

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Then they flow this message to others

No humble Christian tires of confessing that he or she has strayed from the narrow road and needs to turn back to God (1 Kings 18:37).

So they share it with others

Some will result in differerent ammounts to which John Calvin says

John Calvin says, “The fertility of that soil which yields a thirty-fold produce is small compared with that which yields a hundred-fold…[but Jesus] classes together all kinds of soil which do not entirely disappoint the labors and expectations of the husbandman.

What ways can we show ourselves to be good soil bearing fruit a hundredfold?

Let the truth reverberate to others