The Secret Garden
At The Movies • Sermon • Submitted
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· 20 viewsThe seed (The Word/Gospel) is always effective, the soil conditions (the heart) may not be.
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The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden
This movie is about a young and spoiled girl, who’s parents die of an illness. She has to go live with her uncle who has also lost his wife. Upon the death of his wife he locked up her garden on his estate and would not allow anyone to go in. Of course this young girl goes in and she stumbles upon the key finding a garden that is dying. She begins to plant seeds and even invites in her cousin who is thought to be ill but upon him going into the garden he finds that he is able to walk. The secret growing garden changes the fortunes of all involved. The young girl becomes a more kind and caring person, her cousin finds that he can walk, and the uncle changes his attitude to one of joy! God has a secret garden. But his is different. It has been made clear what the seed is, but the secret lies within the soil!
It has been made clear what the seed is, but the secret lies within the soil!
We begin our trek through the word of God today in the book of Matthew, the first of our Gospel books. It recounts the lifetime of Jesus and gives much detail for one who may be familiar with Jewish history. Turn with me to Matthew 13
Mt 13 1-9; 18-23
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.
3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,
6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower:
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
An Indirect Message
An Indirect Message
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.
GREAT crowd!
So great that he had to come off the beach and speak from a boat!
Teaching point: GREAT crowds don’t equate to GREAT people.
The Soil on the Path
The Soil on the Path
3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
EX. How many folks have owned a dog at some point of their lives? When you have a dog and nice grass in your yard one of them has to go in order for the other to stay. Dogs will walk on the same path, take the same route over and over again! It is hard for anything to grow on soil that is consistently being stepped on! The dirt becomes impacted and nothing can sink in or come out! And Jesus explains just that in his parable of the sower, that seeds that fall on the path
The Rocky Soil
The Rocky Soil
5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,
6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.
Jesus goes on to explain the rocky ground
A little bit of soil and a whole lot of rocks.
The Soil With Thorns
The Soil With Thorns
7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
At this point this GREAT crowd only remains great in number and folks have checked out much like we do on Sunday mornings when we fall asleep, check the chat updates, or log on Facebook.
“Jesus we know how farming works!” “But go head, we listening!”
The Good Soil
The Good Soil
8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
“Here come that heat!” the crowd might be saying! “This what we came for!”
Jesus says that when seed falls on good soil it produces
100 x more
60 x more
or 30 x more
9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
“If you have ears understand the message”
He drops mic and is done with that parable...
Wait what?!!
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
“Jesus you remember that one sermon?!! Why you didn’t preach that one? I can’t remember the sermon title but we were on the mount when you preached it!”
People do this when they not feeling a sermon!
Ex: Back in the 60’s while Martin Luther King Jr is preaching Mahalia Jackson, the old gospel singer, started pulling his coat tail telling him to repeat something from another sermon. She said “Tell em about the dream Martin, tell em about the dream!”
The Misunderstood Message
The Misunderstood Message
I don’t care where you go today there are large crowds of people all over the place who misunderstand the message of Jesus! Jesus has so many folks on a beach front that he has to go stand and preach from a boat. And still folks couldn’t grasp his message. Today we have…
People who call the Gospel a white man’s religion for black subservient types to follow.
People who show up to the church building because of the “good feeling” it provides.
People who show up with good intentions, receive the word, but because of that most important job, ever important patriotism, blessed relationship… The word get’s choked out.
Then there are some who accept the message, apply it to their daily lives, but in frustration wonder why it is not taking root in other people’s lives!
Often times the hearts of these folks won’t retain the message past the door!
Jesus is presenting a message that is intended for a specific audience. Those who hear and want to do something about what they heard!
In order to understand the message of this parable about parable’s we must have a chat with Isaiah, for Jesus quotes him directly in Mt. 13:14-15
14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
God’s People in the past, present, & future
God’s People in the past, present, & future
At the time of the writing of Isaiah God’s people were split into two.
Judah & Israel
There were two world powers that existed at that time and they were sandwiched in between them.
Assyria
Egypt
The leadership of Israel were afraid and began to want to rely on Egypt for protection
God sent Isaiah to confirm that He was all that they needed.
But when it came time to have faith in God, His people were lacking
They relied on men instead of God.
Not only that but God’s chosen people began to neglect the poor and worship false gods.
So Isaiah has a vision…
8 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.”
9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 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.”
Isaiah was to go and proclaim a message to a people whose hearts were dull. He would preach and teach but they would be unable to digest this spiritual food! Because their hearts were divided among God and creation. They were not totally committed to God!
God is a God of Justice and they had been living wrong. They had been changed.
See this chiasm that God has within these verses here.
Hear/Ear
See/Eyes
Heart/Understanding
The Parable about Parables Explained
The Parable about Parables Explained
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
Those who are in the house don’t have to be let in!
Within this crowd exists 4 types of soil!
There may be folks in this crowd who are going to spit on Jesus as he carries the cross
There are some who will take the words of Jesus and instead of believing will turn them into rumors and lies to be twisted!
12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Has?
Jesus here speaks of spiritual truth.
People will either accept it or reject it. The one who accepts will be given more. The one who has little, that is has accepted little, will have what they do have taken away!
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
Isaiah was dealing with a people who stopped trusting in God
A people who trusted in governments more than God
A people who stopped caring about folks who couldn’t do nothing for them
A people who began to be more devoted to creation than they were to the creator!
Jesus explains that in this time there is no difference just as it is no difference today!
Ex. I remember my early days in ministry working with youth and how frustrated I would be with them. I worked full time and still managed to create my own lessons and study curriculum when available. I worked with other people to promote and create events that would introduce and strengthen the relationship between youth and God. And vast majority of people didn’t support. The same youth who I would spend time listening to their problems wouldn’t show up to study God’s word. The same parents who would call when their youth were acting up would stand me up when their kids had sports and other extracurricular activities. And the icing on the cake was that when we would get ready to go to Six Flags the youth, their cousins, friends, parents, aunties, and folks who aint never stepped foot in the church would flood the list to go! Boy! I used to live in frustration until I understood that they couldn’t hear God because their soil was bad, they could not see what God had made clear because their soil was bad, they could not even understand the message because their soil was bad! The garden was a secret to me at that time! But I’m thankful that God allowed me to see that the seed is effective but the soil condition may not be!
God is saying here that they have closed their eyes, caused their own dull hearing, and made their heart one that lacks understanding.
Then he says if they had not done so then HE would be able to heal them!
The author of Matthew continues saying...
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17 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.
For those who have eyes to perceive, ears to hear, and hearts to understand… know that you are blessed!
Hear the explanation directly from Jesus
From the Savior’s Mouth
From the Savior’s Mouth
The Soil on the Path
The Soil on the Path
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower:
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
Hearing the Gospel is key!
Romans 10:17
Understand & Evaluate
Satan sees a lack of understanding as an opportunity for victory!
Pray for those with impacted soil!
Ex: Old people used to talk about turning over the soil/dirt. This process was for that hard and heavily trodden earth! It was almost impenetrable. Almost! But you got to roll up your sleeves and start hitting the hard stuff then turn over the soft stuff underneath! Hit the hard stuff again and turn over again, until there is nothing left but soil that can receive what it needs to have in order to be a good environment for the seed!
We have got to see what is buried under there!
Is it...
Abuse
Church hurt
Racism
Inequality
Broken relationships
ETC
All of these can cause someone to have impacted hearts where the seed can neither get down into the soil to grow! And many people have allowed circumstance keep them from experiencing the seed that is the Gospel!
The Rocky Soil
The Rocky Soil
20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
Ex: A seedling is not a plant! Rocky soil has no root. I can go and pull a seedling with two fingers out of the ground. It has NO ROOTS!
Temporary
Immediately
Accept & Reject
WHY?
Based on what comes with the word…
Tribulation- Trouble involving direct suffering.
Persecution- To systematically organize a program to oppress and harass people.
Falls Away- To give up believing what is right and let oneself believe what is false.
Count the costs! Can you afford to be a Christian? It’s worth it! But it is going to cost YOU!
You MUST die to self!
The Soil With Thorns
The Soil With Thorns
22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
This Soil is able to grow a plant! But there is something else that already exists in the soil! Thorns!
What do thorns look like?
New boo/spouse that don’t want you to worship God on Sundays
They look like that friend who always makes little comments about you being “Too Holy!”
They look like that good paying job that requires God’s time
They look like That new bill that was out of your budget but you had to have!
They look like your kids extra extra-curricular activities that happen at the same time God’s time happens!
Thorns will let you grow, until it needs more of you!
Just when you begin to out grow thorns they begin to choke you out!
The Good Soil
The Good Soil
23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Hear- Listen & Obey
Understands-Evaluates… THINKS OVER
They bear fruit!
Fruit contains more seeds!
Sometimes 100X, 60X, or 30X more!
Don’t be overly concerned with the amount of seed you are able to spread just produce more fruit!
Conclusion
Conclusion
What if I have been cut off from God by my actions. What if I have gone too far!?! Turn back to Isaiah, the passage quoted by Jesus in this very same passage.
IF TIME PERMITS GO BACK TO Isaiah 6:13
13 And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.
Is 11 1-5 e
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
When this seed produces! All we have to do is toss it on the soil! Toss it on the soil!!
If you have found yourself in a lifeless situation due to your own actions and God had to chastise you to get the HELL out of you! Understand that there is a path towards new life! The stump may be dead but there’s a seed!