1. Jesus’ First Parable  Matthew 13: 1-23 “A farmer went out to sow…”

2. Sea of Galilee

3. Jesus’ First Parable Why Parables?  Matthew 13: 10-16

4. Jesus’ First Parable Secrets & mysteries for some & not others?  Matthew 13: 10-16  Ephesians 3: 1-13  Romans 11: 25  Matthew 10: 5-7

5. Jesus’ First Parable Same problem for Isaiah, for Jesus, and even today…?  Matthew 13: 13-15  Isaiah 6: 8-10 If your Sundays don’t change your Mondays, then what’s the point?

6. Jesus’ First Parable Use it, or lose it!  Matthew 13: 12

7. Jesus’ First Parable “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”  I Corinthians 3: 6

8. Jesus’ First Parable To the unreceptive, the Gospel message is just foolishness  I Corinthians 1:18, 23  I Corinthians 2: 14  Titus 3: 3-7

9. Jesus’ First Parable Sower – disciples, teachers Seed – Word, Gospel message Soil – Hearers Along the path – shut minds Rocky places – shallow minds Among the thorns – cluttered minds Good soil – fertile, open minds

11. Jesus’ First Parable Along the path - a shut or unprepared mind  Matthew 13: 4, 19  John 10: 27-30

12. Jesus’ First Parable Rocky places, not much soil - a shallow mind  Matthew 13: 5-6, 20-21

13. Jesus’ First Parable The thing that provides the warmth for rapid growth can be the same thing that scorches the plant to death  Matthew 13: 5-6, 20-21

14. Jesus’ First Parable - love without responsibility - grace without judgment - eternal life without present suffering  Matthew 13: 5-6, 20-21

15. Jesus’ First Parable - Quick spiritual highs instead of perseverance & endurance  Revelation 2: 1-3  James 1: 2-4 “he who stands firm to the end will be saved”

16. Jesus’ First Parable Culturally-relevant Christians Or Culturally-influenced Christians? The Pursuit of God A.W. Tozer “We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God.”

17. Jesus’ First Parable Among the thorns - a cluttered mind  Matthew 13: 7, 22

18. Jesus’ First Parable “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”  I Timothy 6: 6-10

19. Jesus’ First Parable Schedules, programs, mission statements, busy-ness, eliminate boredom, never stop 24/7 – And the Word gets choked out of our lives & our church  Matthew 13: 7, 22

20. Jesus’ First Parable Only way to bear fruit… “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15: 5

21. Jesus’ First Parable Good soil - fertile, open mind  Matthew 13: 8, 23

22. Jesus’ First Parable -Receptive ears -Pliable hearts -Responsive lives  Good soil

23. Jesus’ First Parable The certainty of God’s Word “…so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  Isaiah 55: 8-11