Show #334, EndTimes, Prophecies, and Parable of the Sower

Transcript from show #334

(Please note that the transcripts are written pretty well as they were delivered on air).

Radio Show...

This program continues on various series of different topics on theology such as end times, prophecies, daily living, etc. as the subject matter comes up.

Parable of the Sower... another Earthly Story with heavenly meanings for living in end times and prophecies.

Opening Narrative

Well, in the last program, I talked about Communication. Right along with that, I came across the Parables of Jesus this week and I thought, what a perfect follow up to the message on communication.

We saw how Jesus is the Master Communicator last week and how we can learn from His way of communicating with people.

In these Parables we see the Lord telling earthly stories that have heavenly meanings.

I recently heard an interesting presentation on the Parable of the Sower. So today we'll look at that in a fresh new light...

Do you know how you can test your life as a Christian?
We'll look at the answer to this at the end...

But first, let's open the service with this wonderful piece of music... and prayer...

(Let us pray...

The Lord's Prayer...
Praise God Doxology...
Worship Music...)

Narrative #1

As I mentioned at the opening of this program, I recently heard an interesting presentation on the Parable of the Sower.

I'm sure many of you have heard preaching on this Bible passage at some point in your Christian walk. But some of you listening in today may be new to the Gospel and I'd like to share this with you.

There's actually about 31 parables altogether throughout the Gospels... but in Matthew 13 there are 7, of which the parable of the sower that we're looking at today is one:

First of all,

1. What are parables and why does Jesus use that method of teaching:

Let's look at Matthew 13... verses 1 to 3

1) The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

2) And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

So Jesus was by the sea side and many people had gathered to hear him... so much so that he had to get onto a boat in order to preach to the crowd from there...

Verse 3 -- And he spoke many things unto them in parables,
saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

Now before we get into the parable, let's jump to verse 10 – we'll come back to this verse in a moment...

Verse 10 to 13:

10) And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11) He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Now who's “them” ...

Well there are some who are on the inside and others – them -- who are on the outside. So how can that be? We'll get into that in a moment....

Now “mysteries” referred to here means “hidden truths”...

Verse 12:

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath – that's the “them” we read about just a moment ago.

Verse 13:

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

So Jesus is saying to the disciples (and the church today) I'm going to give you more things to you who already have some things... What does He mean by that?

Because he saw the heart of those who listened, responded, wanted to hear, they had a desire to know truth, to know more... and so he wanted to give them more truths yet, to reveal more mysteries... because they were sincere and hungry for the Word of God...

And that goes for today as well... to us today... He still works the same – He is the same yesterday, today and forever... that's one thing about God that we can depend on – stability, immutability... especially in a such an unstable time as we live in today...

Psalm 25:9 says: “The meek will he guide in judgement and the meek will he teach his way...
meek = teachable and guideable...

We were in a MacDonald Restaurant one time with other believers and a man who heard us talk about the Bible said that he didn't want to be a Christian because he didn't want to be meek... he thought that meek meant weak...

But it does not mean weak... It means to be humble or gentle... being humble is not being weak... actually humble people make the best leaders... and good leaders are strong... a father is a leader of his family (or should be)... he should be strong, but he should also be humble and gentle... strong in the leading his family in righteousness...

when you are all of these things, you are teacheable and guideable...and that's what Jesus is looking for... that's what he appreciates... the book of Proverbs is full of examples of this.

So why does Jesus say that he will “take away even that which he hast (v. 12)

So those who are spiritually open will receive the spiritual truths given to them... but those who are not, will not...
We'll go there right after this...

Music Interlude

Narrative 2

Let's look at a physical example in order to understand the spiritual truths spoken of here in these verses:

Say a businessman (or woman), starts 2 businesses, and invests $50,000 in each business.

When the businesses begin to operate, one of them takes off and grows, but the other does not... soon, the one begins to make money, but the other begins to lose money...
Where do you think the businessman will put his money into – the business that does well or the business that fails?

The one that does well of course... he will give to the one that does well and not to the one that fails... and will even take away from the one that fails by closing it down...

So it is with the spiritual things -- whosoever wants to hear the word of God and learn and apply it to his spiritual life and grow will be given more and more but whosoever does not want it, appreciate it, receive it, will not be given more and will even go backward...

So Jesus is saying to those who want to hear I will reveal the mysteries and hidden truths of the Kingdom.... but to them who don't want to hear the truths it will not be given and I will even take away those truths you think you have...

Remember, Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:6 --
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you (or tear you to pieces).

In his early ministry Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God. But the religious Jews and other officials of the law were seeking a political and nationalistic kingdom... and so were now rejecting Jesus' concept of a kingdom of spiritual dimension.
The religious leaders were calling him names, they criticized him, watched him so they could catch him doing something wrong in order to accuse and condemn him of blaspheming against God....

And so Jesus knew their heart, knew their motives – just as he does today also...
.. and that's what is meant by he will give to those who have and take away from those who have not...
He will not waste the precious truths and mysteries of the Kingdom of God with those who despise those things...
Jesus used parables to teach because of his righteous judgment.

so you don't give the pearls of the truths and mysteries of the Kingdom to those who trample those truths of the Kingdom.... and those who were calling him a demon... these are “them” -- them who are on the outside...

So Jesus taught in parables which was a common method of teaching in the Near East, but Jesus was an expert at this and used it particularly at this specific state of his ministry to convey spiritual truths of the kingdom to the crowds... and interpreted the meaning to his disciples and those who followed him, in private.

Music interlude...

Narrative #3

Alright, so let's go back to the parable of the Sower in verse 4 (4 to 9)

So we have 4 elements here:

--the seed (the word of God

--the sower (the person who sows the word of God. He is scattering seeds everywhere and by this he teaches us to scatter seeds everywhere... don't worry about where it falls, you just scatter the seeds...

--the field (is that 'everywhere' that we are to sow the seed)

--the soil (the receiving heart or condition of the person toward the word being heard)

Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

1)_Verse 4: And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up – the way side is the path trampled and hard-packed throughout the field.

Jesus explains the parable in verses 19 to 23)

v. 19, “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

--The seed has no reception – one might be in a church and while the preacher preaches, he or she might be thinking of something else –where are we going to go for lunch... what should I wear for the party tonight.... so your heart is not receptive... and the 'wicked one' comes and takes it away. If you keep on doing this your heart will become hardened. (This is what the Bible means when it says, 'today if you hear God's voice harden not your heart')... in John chapter 12, v. 37, it says “though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

2) Verse 5-6:

5) Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6) And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

Shallow earth on top of stony places... so this is the rock ledge beneath a thin, shallow layer of soil.... the seed would sprout quickly in the warm sun, but without further root or moisture would soon become scorched and wither away.

Jesus' explanation in v. 20 and 21:

v.20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon (right away) with joy receiveth it;

v. 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth (lasts) for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

These people live in the realm of emotion... and the emotions are the shallowest part of our nature -- God does not do his deepest work in the shallowest part of the heart of man... yes they respond, but when the sun comes up in the morning, when things go wrong, when someone offends them, when they lose their job...they soon are offended by that very same word... The deepest part of man is in the spiritual dimension of man – who is made up of body, soul and spirit.

3)_Verse 7:

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

So the thorns are those wild growths that have not been plowed and which chock out the crop.

(v. 22) “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”

Riches are very deceitful ...So this person hears the word but the world trumps it and leads him astray ...

So in the first example, the seed cannot get in
In the second example, the seed cannot get down
In the third example, the seed cannot spread out...
it is just choked by all of the distractions and enticements... yes they may have put on Jesus but they do not make Him everything and first in their life.

Thorns in the Bible, from the very beginning, represent the curse... they represent sins... and unless there is genuine, sincere repentance, one cannot call himself or herself saved...

...a lot of people don't realize what repentance is – repentance is not being broken over your sins... that can happen momentarily in an emotional event... true repentance is being broken from sin...

The Bible says “thou should call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins... (Matthew 1:21).

I like what Adrian Rogers says in one of his programs on this: “Jesus didn't come to save you from hell... he came to save you from sin... if he can't save you from sin, he surely can't save you from hell” .. hummmm

That's because if you don't receive him to save you from your sins, you are on your way to hell ...... and not to the kingdom of heaven... for no sinner goes there.

So in the first place – no reception
In the second – no root
In the third – no room
And in each instance, there is nothing wrong with the sower, nor the seed...

And now we get to a 4th kind of soil :
And here, It falls on an open and sincere heart...

4)_Verse 8: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9) Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

This 4th type of listener is the one who has an open heart – the man or woman who sincerely wants the truths of the Gospel, the truths of God... the one who hears the word of God and not only hears but do it --

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22

Music interlude...

Narrative #4

Now let's go back to the response of our Lord to the disciples when they asked him why He spoke to them in parables.

We've already read v. 11 and 12...

Now let's look at v. 13 which leads into the next 4 verses that I left for the end because of a deeper truth that needs to be explained best after understanding the meaning of the parable of the sower...

verses 11 and 12:

11) He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. (Remember we looked at who are the “them” - which are those who reject the message of Christ.)

12) For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (And we covered that as well, likening it to the business that is successful by its hard work and effort, and the one that fails because of neglect)

So now vs 13 to 17:

13) Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14) And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15) For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

16) But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

17) For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

So what is that all about?

Well it was prophecies that God's people would become closed to His Word, their heart would become 'gross' ( thick, callous)... “lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

In other words if they didn't become rejectful of the Word of God, they would see and hear and therefor understand and would be converted and God would heal them...

In the book of Romans we are told that God's people rejected the righteousness of God and had come to depend upon their own righteousness. We often hear people ask why did God blind the Jewish people... well that's why, they trusted in their own righteousness and not the righteousness of God. So God left them to their own doings.

“For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
So those to whom these revealed secrets are not given are those who have already rejected Christ. So, to the unbeliever, the parable format of teaching leaves them without understanding. Their rejection of Him leads to His rejection of them.

As in Isaiah's day God's people had hardened themselves against God's truth and He had further hardened them in their own unbelief.

The faith of the disciples was evidence of their conversion and caused them to see and hear the truth which the prophets had desired to know.

“Who has ears to hear, let him hear”

Closing Narrative…

Before I dismiss the service today, I want to read to you the Blessing that was read to the people of God in Numbers 6:24-26 which is the benediction from God to you today:

“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

I hope and pray that you will come back next Sunday at SpiritFM.ca, 7 am and 7 pm pacific time. And if you want to hear the service again at any time, you can go to my website at TimingRevelation.com, and click on the Radio Shows navigational tab along the left side. The replays are available there for five weeks, then they are transcribed into articles as new radio shows are put up.

I encourage you to go to your Bible and read further on the scriptures that were given throughout the program today. And if you like these programs and you've been blessed, call or write the station and let them know... if you said the prayer and have accepted the Lord or you've been healed or touched in some way by the Holy Spirit, write to me on the contact form of this web site...

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Until next week, Maranatha, the Lord is coming, very soon. Goodbye and Blessing.

/DMH

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/DMH

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Blessings,