Notes from a sermon on Sunday 22 January 2012
Matthew 13 verses 1 – 9, 18 – 23
“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.”
“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.”
Maybe as we read the word of God we thought this was an unusual portion of scripture to be reading, surely we tend to look at this passage nearer the harvest season but it wouldn’t be much of a farmer if he didn’t begin to plan ahead for the year. So too we as individuals are starting to plan for this year ahead. The farmer mentioned here is going out to sow. We know all about where the seed falls, what happens to it and the application of it. The sower sows his seed, scatters his seed and does it diligently. He wants to see the best of the harvest. He sows the seed, scatters it wide and far and does it indiscriminately. The results of that sowing – some of the seed he scatters falls on hard ground. It didn’t get much chance. “Some fell upon stony places” ie the plate of stone just under the soil. “And some fell among thorns.” The Holy Spirit tells us this thorny ground choked the good seed. “but other fell into good ground and brought forth fruit.” Verse 22 shows the interpretation of the seed. Interpreting it to you and I today as we go out into another year. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches are mentioned here in Matthew whereas Mark adds “the lusts of other things” (chapter 4 verse 19) and Luke adds the “pleasures of this life.”(Mark 8 verse 14)
The treatment of the field. We realise that the sower goes forth to sow but there is a lot of work beforehand that needs to be done – he has to plough the field up, dig it deep. There is a lot of work involved by the Holy Spirit before the word of God takes root in our hearts. In Acts 2 verse 37 we read how Peter on the day of Pentecost was telling the people that the Lord took his life for them, that they took him to the cross but there were those who turned their backs and rejected the message. A section of the congregation though were changed, “pricked in their hearts.” Just like the farmer was going into the field digging up the hard ground, getting rid of the weeds and anything that would hinder the seed going into the ground and producing a harvest, to get saved is more than sitting in a gospel meeting, putting up your hand or looking at a minister. There is more to God’s salvation than that. Whenever the Holy Spirit comes and begins to break up that heart of yours, of anything that would hinder you receiving God’s salvation, sometimes the Holy Spirit will show you that you have to go back in your life. Perhaps an apology has to be made or maybe there is a debt lying that hasn’t been paid. You have got to go back. The sower makes sure he has the best of seed and applies that seed to the field. The seed is God’s precious word. The sower scattered the seed far and near. He wanted the best seed. Some of the seed brought forth one hundredfold, some sixtyfold and some thirty. The seed is the word of God and many a time you have sat under the word of God and listened to it. You have sat under God’s word for so long yet there is no fruit in that life of yours. The writer to Hebrews said “for unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (chapter 4 verse 2) Sometimes that can happen. The word of God has no effect on your life – why – because not being mixed with faith in that heart. We have got to accept the word of God in our hearts. Joshua brought the children of Israel into the land of blessing and challenged the people “but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” (chapter 24 verse 15) Here was the field, the field was treated and the sowing was down. There was nothing wrong with the seed on this particular patch. The weeds needed to be treated before they could make their way through the soil and choke out the seed. The trouble is what is in our hearts. The Psalmist said “the words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (chapter 12 verse 6) You have something that is perfect. That is the explanation of God’s word. The problem you and I have today is we have a heart that is deceitful and desperately wicked. There is something underneath lying in the depths of the heart waiting to draw you away and choke you. Imagine the children of Israel a few days out into the wilderness moving on to a land flowing with milk and honey. Moses had been called up into the mountain because God wants to speak to him. Sometimes God has to do that – to separate us. He takes us away from responsibility of people, work places, anything that hinders us – why – because he wants to speak to us. Moses was up in the mountain with the people down in the valley. The people are starting to get worried and concerned. “make us gods” they told Aaron. “We don’t know what has happened to Moses.” Sometimes that is what happens. God takes some one from us, someone we have looked up to help us in our Christian experience through the difficult times but all of a sudden they are gone. The people of Israel looked and Moses was no longer there. They said “give us something we can see and touch.” The cares of this world were beginning to gather around them. This is the same people who trusted God to paint the blood on the doors because if they did that they would be safe. They walked out of Egypt believing in the promises of God because of what he had just done. They had listened to Moses who told them to come out into the wilderness. Now they are crying out for gods. The cares of this world were gathering around them and they were afraid. Will we die in this wilderness? Will God takes us into the land of Canaan? We should never have left Egypt, at least there we knew what we had. They were losing a grip on God’s word. The rich young ruler knew the deceitfulness of riches had caught him out. He had everything this world could offer. Position, possessions, finances, everything that he would need in this world. One thing he knew he didn’t have – he didn’t have eternal life. He knew that if anything ever happened to him it wouldn’t be absent from the body and present with the Lord. It is a great thing to know we are lost spiritually and on our way to a lost eternity. When God comes and saves us he saves our souls for all eternity. Always be ready to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, to tell someone of their need of salvation. Here’s this young man who comes to Christ and asks “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Now he was told – give up his riches, give everything away and follow Christ. Not the riches but rather the cares of this world. That choked the seed in this field. The young man wanted to be saved. How would he cope without his money? These are the things that crop up in our hearts because the devil doesn’t want to see you going through with God. What are we to do with the cares of this world? Natural thing to have cares of course. Spiritual answer is found in God’s word. 1 Peter 5 verse 7 “casting all your care upon him for he careth for you.” The deceitfulness of riches is one of the thorns that crops up in our hearts. Judas asked the leaders “what will you give me if I cast this man down to you?” He has 30 pieces of silver in his hand so goes and betrays the Lord. The warnings were there for Judas. Remember the woman with the alabaster box. She broke it in Jesus’ presence. Judas was the first to say “what a waste”. He knew the value of the waste. He knew it could have been sold for what it was worth. Achan was a young soldier working for a small wage. He never thought of wealth until he saw that garment. The lusts of things that are in excess, things that can really hinder us. A man in Luke chapter 14 sent out an invitation to many to come to supper. All the people began to make excuses – one had bought five oxen, another a field and the third had married a wife. Isn’t it any wonder that Jesus said in Luke 12 verse 15 “take heed and beware of covetousness for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Your life consists not in things you possess or the pursuits of life.
The threat. What threat does the thorns provide us with today? Thorns have one danger – they choke the good word of God. The dangers are there. If you give yourself to the cares of this world they will choke the word of God. The rich young ruler was fearful that the word of God was choked. He was just within a whisper of receiving God’s salvation – almost there but he gave it all away. The cares of the world came into his heart. He knew what God wanted him to do and what God’s word said. He had nothing to cling to. If I gave it all away how will it fare with me? That has happened in many lives. God challenges them about something in their life to take away the crutch but they cannot do it. Why? “O Lord just look at my family. I need to provide for them.” They look at the future. “That pension plan I have, the savings I have. I need all that.” The Lord says no you need me instead. The word of God is choked as a result. Paul said of Demas “he has forsaken me.” (2 Timothy 4 verse 10) Why? “having loved this present world.” Not fell into sin, going in the wrong relationship or fell out with God. Maybe he felt he was getting on in life and needed security. The word of God was choked.
The tragedy about the field. It had no fruit. Only time when there is fruit is when we go through with God. Wouldn’t it be awful to stand before God saved by his grace and stand with hands that are empty? No fruit but thank goodness you can bow your head and ask the Lord “cleanse me of my sin and take me out that I might do something for you.”
The treatment of the field. We realise that the sower goes forth to sow but there is a lot of work beforehand that needs to be done – he has to plough the field up, dig it deep. There is a lot of work involved by the Holy Spirit before the word of God takes root in our hearts. In Acts 2 verse 37 we read how Peter on the day of Pentecost was telling the people that the Lord took his life for them, that they took him to the cross but there were those who turned their backs and rejected the message. A section of the congregation though were changed, “pricked in their hearts.” Just like the farmer was going into the field digging up the hard ground, getting rid of the weeds and anything that would hinder the seed going into the ground and producing a harvest, to get saved is more than sitting in a gospel meeting, putting up your hand or looking at a minister. There is more to God’s salvation than that. Whenever the Holy Spirit comes and begins to break up that heart of yours, of anything that would hinder you receiving God’s salvation, sometimes the Holy Spirit will show you that you have to go back in your life. Perhaps an apology has to be made or maybe there is a debt lying that hasn’t been paid. You have got to go back. The sower makes sure he has the best of seed and applies that seed to the field. The seed is God’s precious word. The sower scattered the seed far and near. He wanted the best seed. Some of the seed brought forth one hundredfold, some sixtyfold and some thirty. The seed is the word of God and many a time you have sat under the word of God and listened to it. You have sat under God’s word for so long yet there is no fruit in that life of yours. The writer to Hebrews said “for unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (chapter 4 verse 2) Sometimes that can happen. The word of God has no effect on your life – why – because not being mixed with faith in that heart. We have got to accept the word of God in our hearts. Joshua brought the children of Israel into the land of blessing and challenged the people “but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” (chapter 24 verse 15) Here was the field, the field was treated and the sowing was down. There was nothing wrong with the seed on this particular patch. The weeds needed to be treated before they could make their way through the soil and choke out the seed. The trouble is what is in our hearts. The Psalmist said “the words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (chapter 12 verse 6) You have something that is perfect. That is the explanation of God’s word. The problem you and I have today is we have a heart that is deceitful and desperately wicked. There is something underneath lying in the depths of the heart waiting to draw you away and choke you. Imagine the children of Israel a few days out into the wilderness moving on to a land flowing with milk and honey. Moses had been called up into the mountain because God wants to speak to him. Sometimes God has to do that – to separate us. He takes us away from responsibility of people, work places, anything that hinders us – why – because he wants to speak to us. Moses was up in the mountain with the people down in the valley. The people are starting to get worried and concerned. “make us gods” they told Aaron. “We don’t know what has happened to Moses.” Sometimes that is what happens. God takes some one from us, someone we have looked up to help us in our Christian experience through the difficult times but all of a sudden they are gone. The people of Israel looked and Moses was no longer there. They said “give us something we can see and touch.” The cares of this world were beginning to gather around them. This is the same people who trusted God to paint the blood on the doors because if they did that they would be safe. They walked out of Egypt believing in the promises of God because of what he had just done. They had listened to Moses who told them to come out into the wilderness. Now they are crying out for gods. The cares of this world were gathering around them and they were afraid. Will we die in this wilderness? Will God takes us into the land of Canaan? We should never have left Egypt, at least there we knew what we had. They were losing a grip on God’s word. The rich young ruler knew the deceitfulness of riches had caught him out. He had everything this world could offer. Position, possessions, finances, everything that he would need in this world. One thing he knew he didn’t have – he didn’t have eternal life. He knew that if anything ever happened to him it wouldn’t be absent from the body and present with the Lord. It is a great thing to know we are lost spiritually and on our way to a lost eternity. When God comes and saves us he saves our souls for all eternity. Always be ready to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, to tell someone of their need of salvation. Here’s this young man who comes to Christ and asks “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Now he was told – give up his riches, give everything away and follow Christ. Not the riches but rather the cares of this world. That choked the seed in this field. The young man wanted to be saved. How would he cope without his money? These are the things that crop up in our hearts because the devil doesn’t want to see you going through with God. What are we to do with the cares of this world? Natural thing to have cares of course. Spiritual answer is found in God’s word. 1 Peter 5 verse 7 “casting all your care upon him for he careth for you.” The deceitfulness of riches is one of the thorns that crops up in our hearts. Judas asked the leaders “what will you give me if I cast this man down to you?” He has 30 pieces of silver in his hand so goes and betrays the Lord. The warnings were there for Judas. Remember the woman with the alabaster box. She broke it in Jesus’ presence. Judas was the first to say “what a waste”. He knew the value of the waste. He knew it could have been sold for what it was worth. Achan was a young soldier working for a small wage. He never thought of wealth until he saw that garment. The lusts of things that are in excess, things that can really hinder us. A man in Luke chapter 14 sent out an invitation to many to come to supper. All the people began to make excuses – one had bought five oxen, another a field and the third had married a wife. Isn’t it any wonder that Jesus said in Luke 12 verse 15 “take heed and beware of covetousness for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Your life consists not in things you possess or the pursuits of life.
The threat. What threat does the thorns provide us with today? Thorns have one danger – they choke the good word of God. The dangers are there. If you give yourself to the cares of this world they will choke the word of God. The rich young ruler was fearful that the word of God was choked. He was just within a whisper of receiving God’s salvation – almost there but he gave it all away. The cares of the world came into his heart. He knew what God wanted him to do and what God’s word said. He had nothing to cling to. If I gave it all away how will it fare with me? That has happened in many lives. God challenges them about something in their life to take away the crutch but they cannot do it. Why? “O Lord just look at my family. I need to provide for them.” They look at the future. “That pension plan I have, the savings I have. I need all that.” The Lord says no you need me instead. The word of God is choked as a result. Paul said of Demas “he has forsaken me.” (2 Timothy 4 verse 10) Why? “having loved this present world.” Not fell into sin, going in the wrong relationship or fell out with God. Maybe he felt he was getting on in life and needed security. The word of God was choked.
The tragedy about the field. It had no fruit. Only time when there is fruit is when we go through with God. Wouldn’t it be awful to stand before God saved by his grace and stand with hands that are empty? No fruit but thank goodness you can bow your head and ask the Lord “cleanse me of my sin and take me out that I might do something for you.”
