Parable of the Sower
Audio Recording
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Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (ESV)
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.”
Sermon Outline
Jesus and his message produce fruitful lives, but we need to watch for what prohibits hearing and understanding it (v19, 23).
1. Hardness
v4 “some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.”
v19 “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.”
2. Shallowness
v5 “had no depth of soil… when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.”
v20-21 “when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
3. Oversaturation
v7 “the thorns grew up and choked them.”
v22 “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
4. Fruitfulness
v8 “Other seeds… produced grain”
v23 “the one who hears the word and understands it”
v9 “He who has ears, let him hear”
Prayer of Confession
Our good and mighty God, you have revealed yourself and made your ways known. There is so much we don’t understand. Instead of learning with humility, we respond with pride, apathy and resistance. We have taken what we have wanted from you, choosing to accept what already appeals to us or what we already agree with. We have adopted the desires, values and goals of those in our world who do not put you first. Rather than fruit of the Spirit, our thoughts, words and actions have been filled with weeds and thorns. We admit our sin and ask for forgiveness. We thank you that the message of your kingdom is a message of grace and mercy. Today we open our hearts to you, praying that you would feed and strengthen us so that the fruit of your Spirit manifests itself in our lives. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
Where do you observe hardness towards Christianity in yourself? What attitudes, instincts, responses, etc. evidence an innate resistance to some aspect of Jesus and his message?
How can you move past Christian shallowness? How can you learn to face the challenges of life with Christ? What can you recall in situations where you are tempted to walk away from Christ (even if just temporarily)?
What in your life competes with seeking God’s kingdom first? Do you have pursuits or priorities that are choking your faith? How can you tell when things in your life are choking your spiritual growth?
What does it look like to have a life fully open to God and His work?
What devotional habits can you prioritize to make sure you are listening to God, learning and growing as a disciple of Christ? How can you have “ears that hear”?
What aspects of the Kingdom of God do you find clearly valuable? Are there areas of interest in the Christian life you need to revisit or refocus on? How can you sustain enthusiasm for your walk with God?