Matthew chapter 13 we'll begin with, and I'll
just read a part of it again, which
we covered in some way yesterday morning.
Matthew 13, that same day Jesus went out
of the house and sat beside the sea.
And great crowds gathered about him, so that
he got into a boat and sat there.
And the whole crowd stood on the beach.
And he told them many things in parables,
saying, a sower went out to sow, and
as he sowed, some seeds fell along the
path, and the birds came and devoured them.
Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they
had not much soil.
And immediately they sprang up, since they had
no depth of soil.
But when the sun rose, they were scorched,
and since they had no root, they withered
away.
Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns
grew up and choked them.
Other seeds fell on good soil, and brought
forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty.
He who has ears, let him hear.
Now over with me to verse 18.
Hear then the parable of the sower.
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom,
and does not understand it, the evil one
comes and snatches away what is sown in
his heart.
This is what was sown along the path.
As for what was sown on rocky ground,
this is he who hears the word, and
immediately receives it with joy, 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.
As for what was sown among thorns, this
is he who hears the word, but the
cares of the world and the delight in
riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
As for what was sown on good soil,
this is he who hears the word and
understands it.
He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one
case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and another
thirty.
That will cover that this morning, that portion.
And I just remind you that we, yesterday
morning, we took a look at the whole
chapter and these parables.
I don't know about, I don't know whether
you were able to take notes of anything,
particularly yesterday, maybe you had a notebook with
you, but maybe you have.
At any rate, I'd be glad to give
you anything on the whole thing that you
think you need to know.
But let me just remind you of one
or two things about it.
There are eight parables in this chapter, and
four of them are told to the crowd,
and four to the disciples.
The crowd hear the parable of the sower,
the parable of the tares, the parable of
the mustard seed, and the parable of the
leaven.
And then at verse 36, there's a break,
and the disciples hear about the treasure in
the field, the merchantmen seeking poles, the fishermen
and the net, the householder and his treasure.
You will come on to each one of
these in turn during the rest of the
series.
So I'm just giving those that you may
remember, but I'll be coming back to them
in more detail.
And we covered yesterday morning something of the
change in our Lord's ministry from this point,
as he was under pressure about his ministry.
And we explained the reason for that change,
why he used parables.
Not to hinder, but to help.
Not to blind, but to open eyes.
Verse 15 was the verse which has so
often been misunderstood.
We're told there that the people had blinded
their eyes, shut their ears, lest, lest they
should be drawn to God.
And the important thing about that to recognize
is that the lest is not the withdrawal
of God's mercy to them, but the lest
of their attitude.
They'd shut themselves away from God's Word.
Didn't want it.
Hardened their hearts.
So in an attempt to break through, Jesus
spoke in parables.
I said I think how reluctant he was
to give up the struggle for each one
of them.
And to the disciples, he told parables that
deal with the inner progress of the kingdom
of God, the last four.
And the first four explained what was happening
outwardly, things that are happening in the world,
and going on around them all the time.
Apparent failure.
And to the disciples, it's the inner secrets
of the kingdom.
Now we'll see that more clearly as we
go on.
Just the verse that I gave to you,
I think, the Lord confines his purpose to
those that fear him, verse 25, verse 14.
And we finished by saying that every arena,
every life should have an arena of worship
and an altar.
They that wait on the Lord.
Yes.
Pardon me.
25, verse 14.
The secret of the Lord is with them
that fear him.
Or any be, the Lord confines his purposes
to those that fear him.
And Jesus is doing that to his disciples.
Now that was merely the introduction, but we
turn this morning to the parable of the
sower.
In verse three, our Lord calls it the
parable of the sower in verse 18.
But nothing is said about the sower at
all.
By inference from the parable of the tares,
as Jesus explained it, we assume that the
sower is the son of man, verse 37.
And you notice, if you just go down
the opening verses of the parable of the
sower, a man is sowing, and he's sowing
seed.
And it falls on different kinds of soil,
and a certain sequence follows.
What does that all mean?
Well, as I listen to the story which
the Lord Jesus told, I'm inclined to think
that the chief lessons are to do with
the nature of the soil.
But when I turn to our Lord's explanation,
I find the chief lessons are not concerning
the soil, but the seed.
If I hadn't the interpretation that Jesus gave
of this, I would say that the harvest
depended on the nature of the soil.
There are four kinds.
You find them from verse four onwards.
Open highway, or the path, rocky places, thorny
ground, or fruitful ground, four kinds of soil.
But Jesus lays no emphasis on the soil
at all, but all upon the kind and
quality of the seed which is thrown into
it.
Now, the parable of the sower is one
of two which he explains.
Therefore, there's no room for speculation.
Let's examine his explanation with this in mind.
Verse 19.
This is he which was sown by the
wayside.
Verse 20.
He that was sown in rocky places, or
in some versions, as for what was sown,
this is he.
Verse 22.
He that was sown among thorns.
And verse 23.
He that was sown upon good ground.
Notice, emphasis not upon that which receives the
seed, that's the soil, but he that was
sown, that's the seed.
Get that?
Emphasis not on the soil, but on the
seed.
As we go through these parables, it'll be
very interesting to see your faces.
I'm sure a lot of you won't agree
with me.
Try and love me just the same, but
you won't agree.
I'm so thankful to know that's true, and
you're really thinking it through, because you'll have
to think.
And I hope that you'll not be afraid
to come and tell me.
But it's a controversial subject, this we're handling,
because for this parable, for instance, we usually
thought of this parable of the sower and
the seed, thought of it as a picture
of our Lord, and then of all who
preach the word, and the seed as the
word of God, which is sown in hearts
of people who respond in different ways, you
know?
But Jesus gives another slant on that, here
in Matthew.
He's saying, now I'm in for it now,
not that the sowing of the seed is
the word of God thrown into the hearts
of people, but it's the throwing of people
into a generation.
He that was sown.
The sowing, therefore, is not that of truth,
but of people, of men and women.
In the next parable of the tares, we
read in the tares, he takes up the
picture of sowing and says in verse 38,
the good seed are the children of the
kingdom, emphasizing that truth.
In every case, it is he who was
sown.
Not it, but he.
And remembering what these parables are designed to
teach, the progress of God's kingdom on earth,
here we have at once his way of
going about it.
Sowing people, men and women, you and me,
into a generation.
This is he who was sown.
Some fruitless, non-productive.
Others fruitful.
There is, of course, also the sowing of
the word of God in the heart.
And Luke's account of this parable emphasizes that.
But there's no contradiction.
Because the sowing of the word into your
heart is the beginning of the principle which
makes us fruitful seed.
I repeat so slowly.
That's not what I said to myself.
Ready?
Get it down.
Ready to go?
The sowing of the word of God in
the heart is the beginning of
the principle which makes us fruitful seed in
our day.
Now, are you quite sure you wrote that
down in your notes and clearly that you
understand?
Do I need to go over a bit
of it again?
Perhaps I should.
Right?
Let me just go over it because it's
important.
Jesus is saying, not that the sowing of
the seed is the word of God thrown
into a generation, thrown into the hearts of
people, but it's the throwing of men and
women, fellows and girls, into a generation.
Note, I hope, particularly verse thirty-eight, where
in the parable of the wheat and tares,
the Lord takes up the picture of sowing
and says in verse thirty-eight, the good
seed are the children of the kingdom.
All right?
Emphasizing that truth.
It's always he who was sown.
Verse twenty to twenty-three emphasizes that.
Parables are designed to show the progress of
God's kingdom on earth.
And here's his plan of working.
Sowing people into a generation.
Some are fruitless, some are non-productive, others
bring forth fruit.
Well, that should be on your notes, at
any rate, clear.
Now, let's look for a second at the
Lord's description of these various seeds.
Verse nineteen, he that was sown by the
path, or by the wayside, who is he?
Anyone who hears the word of God and
doesn't understand it.
Somebody who listens to a message, but it's
meaningless, and he doesn't trouble to think.
Seeds by the wayside.
And the evil one, the enemy, comes and
snatches away what was sown.
No fruit.
No influence in that life, in the extension
of the kingdom.
You know, in church, how many things press
on our mind, and we're insensible to the
truth of God's word.
And immediately Satan comes and snatches away the
seed.
And two minutes after the sermon is over,
and the service is over, the conversation is.
Dinner, weather, business.
Whirl of traffic begins again and again.
And they become harder than ever.
If you want to know what blessing has
come through your preaching, just watch the crowd
go out.
I've done that, and that keeps you humble.
It's amazing how when you've poured your heart
out for the Lord, and really given everything
you've got, two minutes afterwards, 90% of
the people couldn't care less.
I don't say that to discourage, but to
warn you.
Again, here's another person.
Verse 20.
Got that?
Verse 20.
He that was sown upon rocky places.
Who's he?
Oh, he's somebody.
I just keep on saying he, you know,
I mean she as well.
It's using a generic term.
Well, they've got no root in themselves, you
see.
They consent to the claims of the word,
and rejoice in it.
Their emotions are easily stirred.
Listen to a gospel address and say, why,
that's the finest sermon I've ever heard.
They come and tell the preacher that, and
the preacher is very foolish if he pays
any attention to him.
It never takes root, and in the face
of trouble, he fails.
Just let me speak slowly and get this
down.
Ready for it?
Okay.
I have some long words here.
Watch it.
The superficial, S-U-P-E-R-F
-I-C-I-A-L, the superficial excitement
with which these people receive the word of
God is equaled by the haste in which
they beat and retreat when trouble comes.
The hard rock is right beneath the skin.
The most heartless people are the most gushing.
The most immovable people are those who are
most easily moved on the surface, but the
heart is never touched.
You've probably met them.
People will say, oh, I think this is
now old hat.
That isn't the word you use now in
the States, is it?
How many people come up to me and
say, gee, that was a swell sermon.
And they're even in tears.
But the heart has never been broken.
It needs to get 18 inches lower down
from the mind to the heart.
He that was sown in rocky places.
Got it?
Next kind is verse three.
I'm sorry.
He that was sown among thorns, verse 22.
Who is he?
The man who hears the word.
But the cares of life and the deceitfulness
of money choke what is heard.
He becomes in love with the world around
him.
Not the world, but the love of it.
Not riches and money, but the deceitfulness of
it.
Chokes him.
And under the influence of all that, the
seed dies.
Smothered, kept from fresh air and nourishment, smothers.
Unfruitful.
Sundays are now spent on the golf course,
or in the garden, or taking the dog
for a walk.
How well do I recall, 40 years ago
now, when I was at Moody in Chicago,
a man came up to me after morning
service.
He was very well dressed.
And very smart.
I suppose a man about looked to me
in his 40s or perhaps coming into his
50s.
And he said to me, 20 years ago,
everything you said this morning rang a bell
in my heart.
But not now.
It was real to me then, but not
now.
Oh, I said, why?
And he smiled.
Well, he said, you see, I've made a
lot of money.
I've got a big business.
I'm in charge of 300 men.
I get out every day to my office
by seven in the morning, and I never
get home at night till about 10.
I've neglected the family.
It's been a huge success.
I'm a multimillionaire.
And then suddenly he broke down.
I found it a bit embarrassing.
He just wept his heart out.
And when he'd recovered himself, he just looked
at me and said, my God, what a
price I've paid.
That's it.
Falls on thorny ground.
Lay not up treasure on earth, but lay
up treasure in heaven.
Matthew 6, 19 through 21.
And all that sounds a bit depressing.
But he that was sown upon good ground,
verse 23, he hears, understands, and brings forth
fruit a hundredfold.
He's heard the word, and he's obeyed it.
And his life is making a tremendous impact.
He's preparing for the return of the king.
Now, you notice from these four pictures that
the harvest to which God is looking depends
not on the soil, but on the seed.
The soil responds or refuses to respond according
to what kind of seed.
It's put in it.
And in your Christian service for God, situations
will be hard or rocky or thorny or
fruitful according to the nature of the seed.
What matters most in the Christian life is
not what I do, but what I am.
What I am.
And your influence and mine upon the bit
of field which God sends you to depends
entirely upon your response to Scripture.
If you don't understand it, the way is
hard.
There's no harvest.
If you become absorbed with something else, the
age destroys you, chokes you.
But if I understand and respond and obey,
then there's a breakthrough.
That's the method of God's working.
And it's very thrilling to me, exciting to
think.
Oh boy, I wish I was fifty years
younger.
You know, it's tremendously exciting to think.
And that's God's method of working today, planting
you and planting me in the way that
you are influencing others to the kingdom.
Just jot down this verse of Scripture to
note it and look at it.
Romans 8, 19.
The whole creation waits with eager longing for
the manifestation of the sons of God.
What do you think that means?
Well, conceivably, I suppose, I'm sure indeed, it
may mean the anticipation of the day when
Jesus comes, comes with his people in glory.
But the principle is at work right now,
today, here at Cape and Ray.
Whenever the creation groans, the only answer is
the planting in it of people of God.
You all know, as I do, that the
world everywhere is in such a mess.
There's no answer to it by any other
means than planting in every situation men and
women of God, fruitful seed.
In the midst of people who are against
the king, and such a harvest is the
result of living seed flung from the hands
of Christ to bring fruit for his glory.
He has sown you and me into this
age for that purpose.
The question is, what kind of seed are
you?
The answer to that question depends on the
extent to which God's Word has gripped your
life, and his grace has been received and
appropriated by faith in your heart.
And your attitude to the Word of God
depends upon your attitude to the Holy Spirit.
Just remember the different attitudes you can have.
You can resist the Spirit.
Acts 7.50, you can resist him.
You can hear the Word of God week
by week, and be at the receiving end
of all the lectures here, and sing the
hymns.
But no harvest in your life.
Nothing in us to attract anyone to Jesus.
You can grieve the Spirit, Ephesians 4.30,
grieve him.
Somebody takes first place before Jesus.
Something else matters more to you, never takes
root.
You can quench the Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5
.18. You know, all's going well, but
you're getting on.
The success of material things come first.
But you can be filled with the Spirit,
Galatians 5.22, and bring forth his fruit.
Get this, just before we finish.
The fruitful seed of life is
the result of the sowing of the Word
of God, in your heart.
It isn't a question of intellectual understanding only,
but intellect, emotion, will, conscience, heart.
The whole man receives the truth.
Hosea 10.12 says this, verse 10, chapter
10, verse 12.
Break up your fallow ground, for it is
time to seek the Lord.
To the Lord come and reign righteousness upon
you.
And I've just made a personal prayer here.
I'll share it with you.
Maybe you'd like to put in your notebook.
Lord, please disentangle me from the smothering absorption
of civilian living, and make me a good
soldier of Jesus Christ.
I'll go with that again.
Lord, please disentangle me from the smothering absorption
of civilian living, and make me a good
soldier of Jesus Christ.
When we lived at Caponray, I think that'll
conclude your notes, as far as I know.
When we lived at Caponray, we lived in
that wee house down there, that little house
down there, Willow Bay Cottage.
We had 14 years there.
It was built for us, Major Thomas built
the house for us, at the same time
as this conference hall was going up.
And it's a lovely little home.
It was in a field, as you see.
It hadn't any hedge around it, nothing.
It was absolutely open.
And boy, the wind was terrific.
And of course, the whole place needed, what
do you call it, you know, putting flowers
in it and roses in it.
And I didn't know a thing about gardening.
So we got a man who was an
expert to do this whole garden.
And a friend of mine from London, who
happened to be heading a big place, selling
flowers and all that, he sent me a
hundred roses for a present.
So I gave them to this man who
was going to do the garden.
And he planted a huge bed of rose
bushes.
And it was interesting to watch him because
he dug so deep.
And having dug deep, he brought a whole
pile of manure and buried those poor roses
in that manure.
You couldn't see anything.
They smelt a lot, but you couldn't see
them.
There they disappeared.
That was the spring of about 1969.
And in the autumn of 69, one or
two of them had just ventured to bring
up the heads above the manure.
And he came along again, raked it around,
and then he took his clippers and cut
off all the heads, and they disappeared.
And again, piles of manure.
So I thought, well, that's interesting.
I didn't know what he was doing, didn't
like to ask him.
And then at springtime in May, he came
along again.
And this time, there's quite a lot of
them beginning to show their heads.
Really looking very prosperous.
And would you believe it?
Again.
He took his clippers, cut them right down,
disappeared.
Then put more and more manure on them.
I found it hard not to say something,
but I thought, well, I'd better not, but
show my ignorance.
He went away.
And it was a year later before there
was any sign of them all suddenly sprouting
up, early in the spring.
Great big, fat stems they had, and little
buds of roses.
Lovely.
And I thought, well, now that's wonderful.
I've got to have some.
But would you believe it?
He came along in May, and they all
disappeared.
Three years, that was.
Three years.
Cutting them right back.
I didn't say anything.
I would have done, but my wife stopped
me.
And so I said nothing.
Covered them again.
And the next spring, they came up there.
More wonderful than ever.
I thought, well, now we've got it now.
And he didn't come then.
And in June, one day, I came up
here to lecture.
And I smelt something.
And I said to myself, I want to
see where that smell's coming from.
So I followed my nose.
That wasn't hard.
I went round to the garden there, the
front.
And in this rosebed, there was one rose
that had come up.
It was several inches above the ground.
And it was in full bloom.
Beautiful.
And a wonderful fragrance.
And I looked at it.
You'd think it'd been crying.
Because the morning dew was on its leaves.
And the fragrance of it was absolutely marvellous.
I stood there for a few moments, and
suddenly found I was going to be late
for the lecture, and came up here.
And when I came back, I thought, I
must tell my wife about that.
I came back down to the garden there.
Would you believe it?
The rose had gone.
Right.
Disappeared.
And I was cross.
Who's done that?
Has that fellow been here again?
And I went into the house.
And I smelt a smell.
A wonderful smell.
And I went into the living room.
And there was a vase full of water.
And all the petals of this rose had
been cut off and were sitting on the
water.
And the fragrance of that rose was all
through the home.
It was marvellous.
My wife had done it.
See?
Oh, bless your heart.
That's what the Lord wants to do with
your life.
Make it fragrant.
When I tell you in order that, um,
if he might make it fragrant, it's got
to be cut.
It looked as if it had cried many
times.
And it'll bear many marks.
As that rosebush was cut and cut, you'd
think it had been bleeding and crying.
And sometimes, if the Lord's going to produce
in you and me the kind of person
he wants, he'll cut us back.
And it hurts to grow, but the outcome
of it will be fragrant.
So prepare to be a good seed.
Let's pray.
May each of us be able to say,
I bear in my body the marks of
the Lord Jesus.
May we learn to grow by learning to
die and to live at the cross day
by day, so the Holy Spirit may break
through in power, shattering in power, and make
us the kind of people you want to
fling into this generation, to be examples of
your glory and of your fragrance.
Answer prayer for Jesus' sake.
Amen.