9 How Does Your Kingdom Grow?

Introduction

Spring weather, gardening soon to start, planting, etc. Parable of Sower.

Parables now moving to Kingdom growth and Kingdom living.

Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, healing, casting out demons. Was also teaching in a house. Went out of the house and sat by the sea. Large crowds, so he got into a boat.

Matthew 13 is a series of parables, most are about planting, all deal with the response to and impact of the word of God being planted.

Parable of the soils is probably the most detailed parable, and the only one Jesus took the time to explain. His disciples asked why He taught in parables and what this parable means.

As we said before, Jesus taught in parables in order to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom to His true disciples.

It is in a way a parable of parables. Mark 4:13 How will you understand any parable? – this parable seems to be a key to understanding the teaching of Jesus. It explains how Jesus’ teaching is received. And in the explanation it helps to understand how to interpret parables.

Consider the Sower

Re-read parable

Matthew 13:1–9 CSB

1 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. 9 Let anyone who has ears listen.”

Do you have a garden? How do you plant? Starter plants? Rows, holes, furrows? Throwing seeds?

This parable talks about seeds and soils, but begins by pointing to the sower

Matthew 13:3 CSB

3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow.

In His explanation Matthew 13:18 Listen to the parable of the sower. Focus on sower.

The sower sows. Duh. Farmer, planter, sowing seeds.

Sowing = casting seed, then tilling it into the soil. Broadcast. Throwing the seed.

Who is the sower? – initially, Jesus. More broad understanding at end.

Understand the Seeds and Soils

Start into explanation - This is the meaning

Luke 8:11 CSB

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

Seed = v.11 word of God, or message of God.

message about Kingdom (cut the verse on the slide)

Matthew 13:19 NIV

19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

Jesus as the sower is planting the message from God about His Kingdom.

Where?

Soils = types of hearers and their responses to the message.

Luke 8:12 NIV

12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Path = hard. Unprepared ground. Hear but do not understand/comprehend/receive

Result –devil takes away message from heart So That may not believe and be saved.

Luke 8:13 NIV

13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

Rock = shallow, hear, receive, believe for a while

Result – no root, fall away. Impacted by outward pressures

– distress, persecution, testing because of message. May be any of the things that press in on us like work problems, marriage problems, addictions, true persecution for faith.

Luke 8:14 NIV

14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

Thorns = hear, receive, continue on.

Result – thorns choke out the message, no growth, no mature fruit. Impacted by inward pressures

Thorns come as inward pressures – worries, riches, pleasures. Heart attitudes that choke out transformation. Could be good things as well. Sports. Shopping. Work. Hunting/fishing. Trading out the best and settling for good.

Luke 8:15 NIV

15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Good soil = prepared soil, hear, understand, receive, grow. Honest and good heart.

Result – hold on to message, endure, produce fruit, abundant results.

Summary - 4 soils, 4 types of hearers and 4 responses.

How Does Your Kingdom Grow?

Attempt to find application for this parable raises all sorts of questions.

Am I the sower? Am I the soil? What type of soil would I be? Would I hope to be?

Is there something we can do to prepare the soil, break up the rocks, cut the thorns?

In the simplest understanding – Jesus is the sower, His message from the Father about the Kingdom falls on four types of soil. Some don’t care, some will for a while, and some will be transformed. In all of His teaching, this is to be expected.

Palm Sunday – Journey to the Cross. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. People expected Him to take over the throne, defeat Rome and rule the world. Jesus’ purpose was different. He came to die, to break the power of sin, to rise again to defeat death and give us life. He also came to subversively plant the Kingdom in the hearts of people.

Not the overpowering ruler forcing compliance, but the servant King transforming the hearts of His people with love.

As He plants the kingdom, Jesus is preparing His disciples to be the sowers. The result, fruit produced, is the growth of the Kingdom. We will see this in some of the upcoming parables. (not to be confused with the fruit of repentance of last week)

The sower sows. It is up to the Holy Spirit to prepare the ground, break up the rocks of outward pressures, cut the thorns of inward pressures, and to produce the results.

The sower keeps growing and sowing.

Conclusion

As the hearer, we can also do our part to receive the message on a regular basis, to obey the message, and to remove the rocks and thorns holding us back.

James 1:21–22 NIV

21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

As the sower, we keep growing and keep sowing.

Knowing that the results are up to the Holy Spirit takes the pressure off.

We can pray for people, we can make connections, and we can share a word of truth. If there is a response, we share another word.

Pat Morley of Man in the Mirror says,

“Just take a man as far as he wants to go toward Jesus at that moment. God is not holding you accountable to produce a particular outcome. But He is expecting you to be faithful.”

Big Idea:

The message of the Kingdom planted in fertile hearts will produce abundant growth.

What About You?

Where do you find yourself in the soils? Hard and not receiving? Already receiving but struggling to grow? Growing and also sowing?

What is standing in your way? What good things are blocking you from receiving the best? Let’s lay them before Jesus with an open hand and allow Him to direct us in what to keep and what to lose.

Are you sowing the message of the Kingdom?

If you were involved with several others from the church family, would that encourage you to step out in faith to begin sowing?