SERMON NOTES

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”

Matthew 13:1-16 NIV

“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.”

Matthew 13:4 NIV

Jesus explains that this is those who hear but do not understand: Satan snatches them away

“Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.”

Matthew 13:5 NIV

Those who receive the word joyfully but fall away when trouble comes

“Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”

Matthew 13:5-6 NIV

Those who hear but are choked by worldly concerns and wealth

“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.””

Matthew 13:8-9 NIV

Those who hear but are choked by worldly concerns and wealth

Application:

Learn Daily Disciplines: God’s Word, Prayer, Fellowship, Giving, Serving

Good Church: Gospel Centered, Bible Believing, Lives on Mission,

Develop Christian Community: (This Takes Time)

1. The path-seed eaten by birds

2. Rocky ground - seed springs up quickly but withers in the sun due to shallow roots

3. Thorny ground - seed grows but is choked by thorns

4. Good soil - seed produces abundant fruit