Sermon Tone Analysis

Love One Another

Who is your neighbor?

It’s anyone who has been in your place.

Which is everyone, because we all need to move in to God’s Neighborhood of grace.

May the orphans be embraced.

May the lonely be loved.

May the races be restored and may we empower the poor.

- David Bowden

Matthew centralizes his gospel around the question in

Last week we looked at the first of several parables in introduced this idea that was suggested by William Barclay that here in the center of Jesus Ministry that the disciples were getting weary.

The crowds that once were following Jesus were fading.

More and more there were disagreements with the religious leaders.

There was talk of them taking Jesus’ life.

There was infighting about who was the greatest.

Here in the beginning of Chapter 13, Jesus tells a series of parables to address their weariness.

Their feeling that they are not making a difference.

Have you ever felt that feeling?

The feeling that no matter how hard you try you cannot seem to make a difference in the lives of those who you love?

Jenny and I know this feeling with our fathers...

Should I give up?

No. Will either of them ever come to Jesus before death.

I don’t know.

But what I know is they are not just parents, but they are my neighbors and God does not want them to get away, but to live in his neighborhood of grace.

So, the take away last week was:

We are to sow seed whenever, wherever and to whomever we can and if we do, we have not failed our duty.

But Jesus continues to share more parables in light of this idea.

Because not only are there different types of soil.

Sometimes what type of seed we are takes awhile to be seen.

Pick up with me in

Matthew 13:24

We will get to the meaning of this parable in a few minutes, butt here are a few obvious things that even if Jesus had not told us the meaning of this parable we could glean from a cursory reading.

The owner of the field know he sowed good seed.

The owner is also concerned about pulling up the good wheat with the bad weeds.

See the parable of the soils show us that there are different people to who we are neighbors and it is our job to share with them God’s grace.

God’s story.

It is there job to obey it.

The message here is both good and bad.

The message is that God is patient and we should be as well.

We don’t know everyone’s heart.

We don’t know everyone’s story.

We don’t know how they got here and it is our job to walk beside them and help them become what God wants them to be.

But know…It is their choice.

They choose whether of not to follow him.

John 3:16-21

So, let’s look at the interpretation of this parable by Jesus:

Matthew 13:36

A few observations:

This is an end time prophecy.

(harvest is the end f the age.)

We are not the harvesters.

So who are we?

Hopefully, we all see ourselves as being people of the kingdom.

Those who are people of the kingdom, will live in the Father’s kingdom.

Those who are not will face judgment.

Sometimes, because of deception or because of a lack of spiritual maturity, we cannot right away tell the difference between good or bad.

How does this relate to us at Seven Hills today?

We are some of the most kind hearted, most caring individuals that I have met!

But we have suffered some failures.

We have faced persecution.

Some of us have faced abuse, others suffer from depression, anxiety or health problems.

But we continue to give.

We continue to seek out the full life that Jesus promised us.

But there are times we ask with weary hearts:

1. “Lord, when will we see victory?”

2. “Lord, when Lord will we get a break?”

3. “Lord, when will things go my way for a change?”

But Jesus wants us to realize that when we are weary, we ask the wrong questions.

The parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast remind us that God and His Kingdom are bigger than us.

They are the answer to the question of “Lord, is what I am doing for you matter.”

Matthew 13:31

Here, these two parables sandwiched in between these the parable and its explanation reminds us that even though God’s kingdom had humble beginnings, like the small mustard seed or a little bit of yeast, it has grown through the work of God into something amazing and that is a work that we are a part of.

We have not seen the conclusion of our work.

Neither had the disciples for in just awhile.

they were there to witness the conversion of over 3,000.

They went out into the world and established churches.

They are still impacting our lives today with the actions and words that they used over 2,000 years ago.

So, Jesus message for us today is to not lose hope or grow weary, but to keep our outward focus and to share the gospel message whenever, with whomever, wherever we have opportunity.

That is our calling, our commission.

I will leave you with one last thought expressed about the people who lived by faith in .

Hebrews 11:13-