Matthew 13 Kingdom Parables Sermon

I)       Matthew 13: 24-52

II)    Context

A)    Matthew up to now

1)      Jews rejecting

B)    Matthew after this

1)      Gentiles accepting

C)    Therefore, instructing disciples about the coming “church age”

D)    “Kingdom” Terminology – tonight.

1)      Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven represents a theocracy – Rule by God.

E)     In this passage:  “Kingdom of Heaven”

1)      The kingdom of Heaven – the new spiritual kingdom, the new theocracy of the church age.

III) Parable of the Weeds:  How God is going to expand His Kingdom in this time. By sewing His Word.

A)    READ 13:24-30 and 13:36-43

B)    “Good” seed sewn by the Son of Man – Jesus.

1)      Sewing word through the “Sons of the Kingdom”

C)    “Weeds” were sewn by Satan.

1)      Who actively opposes the spread of the word.

D)    Wheat and weeds look the same upon sprouting but when wheat forms heads, that is FRUIT, then the difference shows.

1)      Servants will question, will want to pull out weeds.

2)      But because it would damage wheat, they are let go.

E)     The harvest is the judgment – the Lord will handle the weeds on His timing, not ours.

F)     Summary:  During this new theocracy, the word will be sewn and Satan will fight against it.

1)      More about the judgment in the parable of the Net.

IV) Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast:  What will the growth look like?  Humble beginnings, and quiet, permeating growth with huge results.

A)    READ 13: 31-33

1)      Small beginnings – one man (God), one city, many millions of believers.

2)      Encourages the disciples – to spite small beginnings, the Kingdom would grow great – changing the whole world.

3)      Birds of the air – a statement to illustrate its size relative to the tiny seed from which it came.

(a)    An encouragement to us – growth not by our power, not limited to our vision or abilities.

(b)   Some say – represent unbelievers in the midst of the church.

B)    Parable of the Yeast:  Quiet, permeating growth.

1)      Growth further described.

2)      Yeast totally unseen – spiritual influence.

(a)    Dough visibly rising / affected.

3)      Cannot break off a piece small enough to have no yeast.

(a)    It will permeate the whole world.  Matt. 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

4)      The new theocracy will start small and will grow mighty by the quiet, internal workings of the Holy Spirit and not by obvious, worldly power or might.

(a)    Zech 4:6 “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

V)    Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl:  We are PURCHASED at a great price.

A)    V36, left the crowd, went into house with disciples, interpreted weeds, then gives last 3 parables.

B)    READ 13:44-46

C)    Treasure hidden in a field – the faithful remnant of Israel that has a part in this new theocracy.

D)    Pearls, particularly loved by Romans, gentiles.

E)     Both purchased at a great price.

F)     In this new theocracy, God purchases for Himself a new people composed of both Jews and Gentiles.

VI) Parable of the Net:  The age ends in judgment.

A)    READ 13: 47-50

B)    This kingdom age, this theocracy, as represented by the net will consist of all kinds – “fish” not in Greek text.  Like wheat and weeds – there will be no distinction until the end.

C)    Good fish in baskets – bad fish thrown out.  This one interpreted – only with disciples.

1)      No distinctions – all kinds together in this age.

(a)    Speaks against health/wealth gospels because there is not a distinction or separation until the end. V43 says that the righteous will shine like the sun AFTER the judgment.

D)    Judgment – spoken more of than the millennial kingdom or heaven.  God knows how to motivate us.

E)     This Kingdom of God will close with a great sorting by the angels, at the command of Jesus Christ.

VII)          Summarize so far:

A)    God’s new theocratic Kingdom will grow by the spreading of the word in the midst of Satan’s resistance.

1)      People become sons of God or sons of the evil one.

B)    To spite the spiritual resistance, the kingdom grows mighty from its humble beginnings.

C)    By the quiet, internal power of the Holy Spirit

D)    God purchases a new people of both Jews and Gentiles.

E)     Building up to a time of final judgment where the sons of God will occupy a position in Christ’s Millennial Kingdom but all others will be cast into the fire.

VIII)       Parable of the head of the house:  Our responsibility in this Kingdom.

A)    READ 13:51-52

B)    The application in a single verse.  Remember, He is only dealing with His Disciples here.

C)    John 12:24,

D)    John 15 – fruit that will remain.

IX) Application / Invitation:

A)    Join in the Kingdom work

1)      John 12:24 – 26, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

(a)    Jesus himself, then followers.

(b)   Unless grain dies, it will not reseed.  Field in the first parable is going to grow through seasons.

(c)    Unless believers die to themselves, daily, they will not bear fruit,

(d)   John 15 – anything not bearing fruit is not really wheat, not really a son of God, therefore must be a son of the evil one.

(e)    You will know them by their fruits, faith without works is dead.

2)      Only two classes of people:

(a)    Sons of God – wheat – that die to themselves and spread the seed of the word thus producing more fruit.

(b)   Sons of the evil one – not sewing the word of God – one destination – the fiery furnace.

(i)     You say you believe – James, the demons believe.

(c)    How do I know?

(i)     Jews were rejecting the kingdom – not what they expected or wanted.  They were relying on their own righteousness.  Rejected Jesus and His message.

·         We still have Jesus and His message – it says that becoming a child of God requires a death to our own desires, our own righteousness.

·         It says that we will bear fruit by sewing His word.

·         Do you resist any of these things?

(ii)   But I come to church – I’m a member, or I was baptized when I was a child… yep, wheat and weeds grow together.

(iii) Why do you come here?  Bird of the air?  A resting place?  A little knowledge, membership?  “Did you know this thing started from a little seed?”

(iv) How you know – death to self, producing fruit, not living by your own power.

B)    Resolve to move on to maturity.

C)    Resolve to move into the kingdom.