August 4, 2025 • 16 mins
What if the greatest storyteller who ever lived wasn't Shakespeare, Tolkien, or Rowling, but a carpenter from Nazareth? In this illuminating exploration of Matthew 13, we discover Jesus as the master of narrative, using parables to transform complex spiritual truths into accessible stories that continue to resonate thousands of years later.
These kingdom stories aren't merely clever illustrations—they're divine wisdom compressed into human language. As Pastor Brandon explains, teaching us about God's kingdom is like "teaching calculus to an ant"—an impossible task made possible through the genius of parables. Each story unfolds with multiple layers of meaning, revealing deeper insights the more we examine them.
The Parable of the Sower shows how the same spiritual truth lands differently depending on our heart's receptivity. The wheat and weeds teach patience in a world where good and evil coexist. The mustard seed and hidden treasure reveal the surprising growth and immeasurable value of God's kingdom. What's fascinating is how Jesus intentionally designed these stories to simultaneously reveal truth to the receptive while concealing it from the resistant—a divine filter that continues to operate today.
Perhaps most striking is the paradox at the chapter's conclusion: Jesus, whose wisdom amazed crowds everywhere else, finds himself rejected in his hometown. "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown," he observes, showing how familiarity can become the greatest barrier to revelation. This challenges us to examine whether our own familiarity with spiritual teaching has dulled our capacity for wonder and transformation.
Ready to discover how these ancient stories might be speaking directly to your life today? Listen as we unpack the parables that have shaped human understanding of spirituality for centuries and learn how your life can become a living parable—a testimony to God's transforming power that others can read.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everybody, welcome back to the Bible
Breakdown podcast with your host, Pastor Brandon, Today, Matthew
, chapter 13, and today's titleis Kingdom Stories Kingdom
Stories.
You ever been around somebodywho's just a master storyteller?
It is said that Abraham Lincolnwas an absolute master
storyteller.
I've been around people beforewho it did not matter what they
(00:24):
were talking about.
I was there for it because theywere just amazing storytellers.
Well, one of the things that Ilove about Jesus, and that I
don't think he gets credit forenough, was Jesus was an amazing
storyteller and his storiescalled parables were way more
powerful than we can everimagine, because it helped us
(00:44):
understand the kingdom of God ina way that would apply to so
many areas of life.
Just master at it.
Now, of course, he's kind ofcheating because he is God.
We're going to get all that injust a moment.
So, if you have your Bibles,open up with me to Matthew,
chapter 13.
While you're doing that, asalways, if you're new around
here to take just a moment tolike, share and subscribe to the
YouTube channel and the podcast.
(01:05):
Make sure you leave us afive-star review on the podcast.
You guys are always going to bemy OGs, my favorites, Can't
help it.
Make sure you leave us afive-star review and let
everybody else know how they aregoing to benefit from the Word
of God as we read through onechapter at a time, and make sure
you're going to the BibleBreakdown Discussion on Facebook
.
There's an amazing group ofpeople doing a wonderful job and
(01:27):
, as always, the more we dig,the more we find.
Well, if you've been with usover the past several days, we
are digging further and furtherinto the Gospel of Matthew and
the overall theme is King Jesus.
Jesus is the rightful king, notonly of earthly kingdoms, but
of all things.
He's the king of kings and theLord of lords.
He's awesome.
We are massive fans here at theBible Breakdown, right and he
(01:53):
is just continuing to build thekingdom, one chapter at a time,
and in chapter 13, he is goingto teach us about the ways of
the kingdom, and he's going todo this through these different
kingdom stories, and the bestway to describe kingdom stories
is he tells these stories andthey're called parables.
Now, parables are illustrations, but a better way to understand
(02:16):
them it is a story that has akingdom principle wrapped into
it so that we can understand it.
Like one of the best analogies Iever heard would be like trying
to teach calculus to an ant.
Now, I don't mean like, likeyou know, I mean the insect
right, the insect ant.
Like, think about that for amoment.
Imagine you were to have to tryto teach calculus to an ant.
Well, first of all you'd haveto understand calculus, right,
(02:39):
which is not me, Okay.
So so, to understand calculus,you got to understand algebra.
To understand algebra, you'vegot to understand just simple
mathematics.
To understand simplemathematics, you've got to
understand just how numbers work, right.
And then there's a languagebarrier, and then there's an
intelligence barrier.
You know what I mean.
And then there's so manybarriers to get from calculus to
even communicating with an antthat we would basically call it
(03:00):
impossible, right, there wouldbe so many barriers, call it
impossible, right, there wouldbe so many barriers.
Well, that is what it is likefor God, the infinite, timeless,
spaceless, yo God, to teachanything infinite to us.
There's so many barriersbetween infinite and finite that
we would say it's impossible.
But Jesus, doing this, he wouldtake kingdom principles and he
(03:24):
would wrap it up in a story tohelp us get our minds around it,
Because many times theprinciples would have multiple
different ways to apply them.
And so when you tell it in theform of a story, you're able to
see so many of those differentprinciples, and it's God's way
of trying to take the infiniteand cram it into our brains.
That's why I love theseparables is you could just sit
(03:46):
there and go.
You know it means this.
You know it also means that,and the deeper you dig, the more
truth is there.
That is the power of theparables of Jesus.
So obviously that means we'renot going to get anywhere near
to the bottom of any of these,but I just want us to listen to
these stories and just be in aweof the wisdom of Jesus.
(04:08):
So if you're ready, here we go.
Matthew, chapter 13, verse 1,says this.
Later that same day, Jesus leftthe house and sat beside the
lake.
A large crowd soon gatheredaround him, so he got into a
boat and then he sat there andtaught as the people stood on
the shore.
He told stories in the form ofparables told you, such as this
(04:29):
one.
Listen, a farmer went out toplant some seeds.
As he scattered them across hisfield, some seeds fell among a
footpath and the birds came andate them.
Other seeds fell among shallowsoil with underlying rock.
The seeds sprouted quicklybecause the soil was shallow,
but the plants soon wilted underthe hot sun and since they
(04:51):
didn't have deep roots, theydied.
Other seeds fell among thornsand grew up and choked out the
tender plants.
Still other seeds fell onfertile soil and they produced a
crop that was 30, 60, and even100 times as much as he had
planted.
Anyone who has an ear to hearshould listen and understand.
(05:12):
Now, by the way, every time hesays that he is saying those who
are willing to listen, thosewho realize I'm not just telling
a story, but I'm talking abouta spiritual principle, think on
these things.
That's what he's saying.
All right, verse 10.
His disciples came to him andasked why do you use parables
when you talk to the people?
And then he replied you arepermitted to understand the
(05:32):
secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but others are not.
To those who listen to myteaching, more understanding
will be given and they will havean abundance of knowledge, but
those who are not listening,even what little they understand
, will be taken away from them.
This is why I use theseparables, For they look but they
don't really see.
(05:52):
By the way, he's quoting fromthe Old Testament right here.
They hear, but they do notreally listen or understand.
This fulfills the prophecy ofIsaiah that says when you hear
what I say, you will notunderstand.
When you see what I do, youwill not comprehend.
For the hearts of Isaiah thatsays their ears cannot hear,
(06:15):
their hearts cannot understandand they cannot turn to me and
let me heal them.
So in other words, he is sayingI am only wanting to talk to
the people who want to learn,not the people who just want to
pick apart what I have to sayand try to cause division.
So he's saying there's a roleyou have to play, and we can
even see that when it comes toreading God's word.
(06:36):
You ever notice how some peoplewill come in and they'll read
God's word and they'll just go,ah, I don't get it, and walk
away.
And then you have other peoplewho will read God's word and go
wow, that's amazing, that'spowerful.
Many times it has to do withthe position, the posture of
their heart, willing to be astudent.
And that's what Jesus is sayingfor those who are willing to
learn, Absolutely They'll get it.
(06:57):
Those who are not, they're justgoing to go away and not
understand.
All right, verse 16, butblessed are your eyes because
they see and your ears becausethey hear.
I tell you the truth manyprophets and righteous people
long to see what you see, butthey didn't see it.
And they long to hear what youhear, but they didn't hear it.
Now listen to the explanation ofthe parable about the farmer
(07:18):
planting seeds.
The seed that fell on thefootpath represents those who
hear the message about thekingdom and don't understand it.
Then the evil one comes andsnatches away the seed that was
planted in their hearts.
The seed on the rocky soilrepresents those who hear the
message and immediately receiveit with joy.
But since they don't have deeproots, they didn't last long.
(07:38):
They fell away as soon as theyhave problems or are persecuted
for believing God's word.
Ouch.
The seeds that fell among thethorns represents those who hear
God's word, but all too quicklythe message is crowded out by
the worries of this life and thelure of wealth, so no fruit is
produced.
The seed that fell on good soilrepresents those who truly hear
(07:59):
and understand God's word andproduce a harvest of 30, 60, or
even 100 times as much as hadbeen planted.
Here is another story Jesus toldthe kingdom of heaven is like a
farmer who planted good seed inhis field, but that night, as
the worker slept, his enemy cameand planted weeds among the
wheat, then slipped away.
(08:20):
When the crop began to grow andproduce grain, the weeds also
grew.
The farmer's workers went outto him and said Sir, the field
where you planted that good seedis full of weeds.
Where did they come from?
An enemy has done this.
The farmer exclaimed Shall wepull out the weeds?
They asked no, he repliedYou'll uproot the wheat.
(08:41):
If you do, Let both growtogether until the harvest.
Then I will tell the harvestersto sort out the weeds and tie
them into bundles and burn themand put the wheat into the barn.
Here is another illustrationJesus used the kingdom of heaven
(09:20):
is like a mustard seed plantedin a field.
Jesus also used thisillustration.
Jesus always used stories andillustrations like these when
speaking to the crowds.
In fact, he never spoke to themwithout using such parables.
This fulfilled what God spokethrough the prophets.
I will speak to you in parablesand I will explain these things
hidden since the creation ofthe world.
(09:42):
Then, leaving the crowdsoutside, Jesus went into the
house and his disciples saidPlease explain to us the story
of the weeds in the field.
Jesus replied the Son of man isthe farmer who plants the good
seed.
The field is the world and thegood seed represents the kingdom
of God or the people of thekingdom.
Weeds are the people who belongto the evil one.
(10:04):
The enemy who planted the weedsamong the wheat is the devil.
The harvest is the end of theworld and the harvesters are the
angels.
Just as the weeds are sortedout and burned in the fire, so
it will be at the end of theworld.
The Son of man will send Hisangels and they will remove from
His kingdom everything thatcauses sin and all who do evil,
(10:28):
and the angels will throw theminto the fiery furnace where
there will be weeping andgnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shinelike the sun in their father's
kingdom.
Anyone who has ears to hearshould listen and understand.
The kingdom of heaven is like atreasure that a man discovered
hidden in a field.
In his excitement, he hid itagain and sold everything he
(10:51):
owned to get enough money to buythe field Again.
The kingdom of heaven is like amerchant on the lookout for a
choice pearl.
When he discovered the pearl,of great value, he sold
everything he owned and boughtit Again.
The kingdom of heaven is like afishing net that was thrown
into the water and caught fishof every kind.
When the net was full, theydragged it up onto the shore,
(11:13):
sat down and sorted out all thegood fish into crates, but threw
the bad ones away.
That is the way it will be atthe end of the world.
The angels will come andseparate the wicked people from
the righteous, throwing thewicked into the fiery furnace
where they will be weeping andgnashing of teeth.
Do you understand all thesethings?
Yes, they said we do.
(11:33):
Then he added Every teacher ofreligious law who becomes a
disciple in the kingdom ofheaven is like a homeowner who
brings out his storeroom of newgems of truth as well as old.
When Jesus had finished tellingall these stories and
illustrations, he left that partof the country and he returned
to Nazareth, his hometown.
When he taught there in thesynagogue, everyone was amazed
(11:56):
and said where does he get thiswisdom and power to do miracles?
Then they scoffed he's just thecarpenter's son, and we know
Mary, his mother and hisbrothers, James, Joseph, Simon
and Judas.
All of his sisters live righthere among us.
Where did he learn all of thesethings, and they were deeply
(12:16):
offended and refused to believein him.
Then Jesus told them a prophetis honored everywhere except in
his own hometown and among hisown family.
So he did only a few miraclesthere because of their unbelief.
So what we got to see is isJesus is telling us that the
kingdom of heaven is amultifaceted world, that it's
(12:41):
full of good things, deepunderstanding and amazing
opportunities to know God more.
If you notice, there was threeor four times it stood out where
he would say that there areseasons when there are people
who are in the kingdom of Godand people who only are
pretending to be part of thekingdom of God and we really
(13:02):
don't know.
Only God knows and only at theend will God know people's
hearts and he will separatethose who are wicked and those
who are good.
So he says there will beseasons when you won't always be
certain what's our job.
Keep growing, Keep movingforward and trust that God knows
our hearts and he will keepgoing.
(13:22):
I think my favorite parable inthere is when he talks about
that there was a man who saw atreasure and when he found the
treasure, he hid the treasureback where it was and then he
went and sold everything he hadto obtain that field that had
that treasure, treasure.
He hid the treasure back whereit was and then he went and sold
everything he had to obtainthat field that had that
treasure.
Can I tell you I have seen thatso many times in my own life and
in the lives of others thatwhen people begin reading God's
(13:45):
Word, when they discover who Godis, they will change everything
about their life so that theycan experience more of God.
Can I tell you, that's my hopefor you today.
My hope for you today is thatyou will discover so much more
of God that nothing else willsatisfy and you will literally
(14:06):
just sell all of yourpossessions.
What I mean by that is notnecessarily your physical
possessions, but you're willingto sell your past mistakes, your
addictions, your holding on toother things, and you'll say I
want to change everything aboutmy life.
I want to hold on to Jesusbecause what I have found in him
is more precious and morevaluable than anything else.
(14:29):
Now it's going to come with acost.
Notice how, at the very end ofthe chapter, it said that Jesus
went back to his hometown and hewanted to do some of the great
things that he had done in otherplaces in his hometown.
The only difference was theydidn't receive him and they were
unwilling to receive what hewas doing.
And so if they didn't alwaysreceive Jesus, then people will
(14:52):
not always receive our pursuitof God.
What do we do?
We keep on growing.
We keep telling people I am notany better than you.
I didn't come here to try tobrag on myself.
I'm just telling you I'm betterthan I would be without Jesus,
and I invite you to join in thejourney, becoming part of the
kingdom of God.
And as we do this, our livesbecome living parables.
(15:14):
We become living stories of thegoodness of God.
Let's pray together right now.
God, thank you so much fortoday.
Thank you for your word thatteaches us that you're on the
move, that you're doing so manygood things in our lives.
My prayer today, God, is thatwe would become living parables.
We would become examples ofyour goodness, become living
parables.
We will become examples of yourgoodness, examples of your
(15:36):
glory, and that we, God, will bethe very best story of what you
can do in a life.
We celebrate you today InJesus' name.
We pray Amen, Amen.
God's word says in Matthew 28,verse 19,.
All authority and in heaven andearth has been given to me.
Jesus said go therefore andmake disciples of all nations.
I pray that through our timetogether, every day, you are
(15:59):
becoming a fully devotedfollower of Jesus Christ.
I love you.
I'll see you tomorrow forMatthew, chapter 14.
Hello everybody, welcome back to the Bible
Breakdown podcast with your host, Pastor Brandon, Today, Matthew
, chapter 13, and today's titleis Kingdom Stories Kingdom
Stories.
You ever been around somebodywho's just a master storyteller?
It is said that Abraham Lincolnwas an absolute master
storyteller.
I've been around people beforewho it did not matter what they
(00:24):
were talking about.
I was there for it because theywere just amazing storytellers.
Well, one of the things that Ilove about Jesus, and that I
don't think he gets credit forenough, was Jesus was an amazing
storyteller and his storiescalled parables were way more
powerful than we can everimagine, because it helped us
(00:44):
understand the kingdom of God ina way that would apply to so
many areas of life.
Just master at it.
Now, of course, he's kind ofcheating because he is God.
We're going to get all that injust a moment.
So, if you have your Bibles,open up with me to Matthew,
chapter 13.
While you're doing that, asalways, if you're new around
here to take just a moment tolike, share and subscribe to the
YouTube channel and the podcast.
(01:05):
Make sure you leave us afive-star review on the podcast.
You guys are always going to bemy OGs, my favorites, Can't
help it.
Make sure you leave us afive-star review and let
everybody else know how they aregoing to benefit from the Word
of God as we read through onechapter at a time, and make sure
you're going to the BibleBreakdown Discussion on Facebook
.
There's an amazing group ofpeople doing a wonderful job and
(01:27):
, as always, the more we dig,the more we find.
Well, if you've been with usover the past several days, we
are digging further and furtherinto the Gospel of Matthew and
the overall theme is King Jesus.
Jesus is the rightful king, notonly of earthly kingdoms, but
of all things.
He's the king of kings and theLord of lords.
He's awesome.
We are massive fans here at theBible Breakdown, right and he
(01:53):
is just continuing to build thekingdom, one chapter at a time,
and in chapter 13, he is goingto teach us about the ways of
the kingdom, and he's going todo this through these different
kingdom stories, and the bestway to describe kingdom stories
is he tells these stories andthey're called parables.
Now, parables are illustrations, but a better way to understand
(02:16):
them it is a story that has akingdom principle wrapped into
it so that we can understand it.
Like one of the best analogies Iever heard would be like trying
to teach calculus to an ant.
Now, I don't mean like, likeyou know, I mean the insect
right, the insect ant.
Like, think about that for amoment.
Imagine you were to have to tryto teach calculus to an ant.
Well, first of all you'd haveto understand calculus, right,
(02:39):
which is not me, Okay.
So so, to understand calculus,you got to understand algebra.
To understand algebra, you'vegot to understand just simple
mathematics.
To understand simplemathematics, you've got to
understand just how numbers work, right.
And then there's a languagebarrier, and then there's an
intelligence barrier.
You know what I mean.
And then there's so manybarriers to get from calculus to
even communicating with an antthat we would basically call it
(03:00):
impossible, right, there wouldbe so many barriers, call it
impossible, right, there wouldbe so many barriers.
Well, that is what it is likefor God, the infinite, timeless,
spaceless, yo God, to teachanything infinite to us.
There's so many barriersbetween infinite and finite that
we would say it's impossible.
But Jesus, doing this, he wouldtake kingdom principles and he
(03:24):
would wrap it up in a story tohelp us get our minds around it,
Because many times theprinciples would have multiple
different ways to apply them.
And so when you tell it in theform of a story, you're able to
see so many of those differentprinciples, and it's God's way
of trying to take the infiniteand cram it into our brains.
That's why I love theseparables is you could just sit
(03:46):
there and go.
You know it means this.
You know it also means that,and the deeper you dig, the more
truth is there.
That is the power of theparables of Jesus.
So obviously that means we'renot going to get anywhere near
to the bottom of any of these,but I just want us to listen to
these stories and just be in aweof the wisdom of Jesus.
(04:08):
So if you're ready, here we go.
Matthew, chapter 13, verse 1,says this.
Later that same day, Jesus leftthe house and sat beside the
lake.
A large crowd soon gatheredaround him, so he got into a
boat and then he sat there andtaught as the people stood on
the shore.
He told stories in the form ofparables told you, such as this
(04:29):
one.
Listen, a farmer went out toplant some seeds.
As he scattered them across hisfield, some seeds fell among a
footpath and the birds came andate them.
Other seeds fell among shallowsoil with underlying rock.
The seeds sprouted quicklybecause the soil was shallow,
but the plants soon wilted underthe hot sun and since they
(04:51):
didn't have deep roots, theydied.
Other seeds fell among thornsand grew up and choked out the
tender plants.
Still other seeds fell onfertile soil and they produced a
crop that was 30, 60, and even100 times as much as he had
planted.
Anyone who has an ear to hearshould listen and understand.
(05:12):
Now, by the way, every time hesays that he is saying those who
are willing to listen, thosewho realize I'm not just telling
a story, but I'm talking abouta spiritual principle, think on
these things.
That's what he's saying.
All right, verse 10.
His disciples came to him andasked why do you use parables
when you talk to the people?
And then he replied you arepermitted to understand the
(05:32):
secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but others are not.
To those who listen to myteaching, more understanding
will be given and they will havean abundance of knowledge, but
those who are not listening,even what little they understand
, will be taken away from them.
This is why I use theseparables, For they look but they
don't really see.
(05:52):
By the way, he's quoting fromthe Old Testament right here.
They hear, but they do notreally listen or understand.
This fulfills the prophecy ofIsaiah that says when you hear
what I say, you will notunderstand.
When you see what I do, youwill not comprehend.
For the hearts of Isaiah thatsays their ears cannot hear,
(06:15):
their hearts cannot understandand they cannot turn to me and
let me heal them.
So in other words, he is sayingI am only wanting to talk to
the people who want to learn,not the people who just want to
pick apart what I have to sayand try to cause division.
So he's saying there's a roleyou have to play, and we can
even see that when it comes toreading God's word.
(06:36):
You ever notice how some peoplewill come in and they'll read
God's word and they'll just go,ah, I don't get it, and walk
away.
And then you have other peoplewho will read God's word and go
wow, that's amazing, that'spowerful.
Many times it has to do withthe position, the posture of
their heart, willing to be astudent.
And that's what Jesus is sayingfor those who are willing to
learn, Absolutely They'll get it.
(06:57):
Those who are not, they're justgoing to go away and not
understand.
All right, verse 16, butblessed are your eyes because
they see and your ears becausethey hear.
I tell you the truth manyprophets and righteous people
long to see what you see, butthey didn't see it.
And they long to hear what youhear, but they didn't hear it.
Now listen to the explanation ofthe parable about the farmer
(07:18):
planting seeds.
The seed that fell on thefootpath represents those who
hear the message about thekingdom and don't understand it.
Then the evil one comes andsnatches away the seed that was
planted in their hearts.
The seed on the rocky soilrepresents those who hear the
message and immediately receiveit with joy.
But since they don't have deeproots, they didn't last long.
(07:38):
They fell away as soon as theyhave problems or are persecuted
for believing God's word.
Ouch.
The seeds that fell among thethorns represents those who hear
God's word, but all too quicklythe message is crowded out by
the worries of this life and thelure of wealth, so no fruit is
produced.
The seed that fell on good soilrepresents those who truly hear
(07:59):
and understand God's word andproduce a harvest of 30, 60, or
even 100 times as much as hadbeen planted.
Here is another story Jesus toldthe kingdom of heaven is like a
farmer who planted good seed inhis field, but that night, as
the worker slept, his enemy cameand planted weeds among the
wheat, then slipped away.
(08:20):
When the crop began to grow andproduce grain, the weeds also
grew.
The farmer's workers went outto him and said Sir, the field
where you planted that good seedis full of weeds.
Where did they come from?
An enemy has done this.
The farmer exclaimed Shall wepull out the weeds?
They asked no, he repliedYou'll uproot the wheat.
(08:41):
If you do, Let both growtogether until the harvest.
Then I will tell the harvestersto sort out the weeds and tie
them into bundles and burn themand put the wheat into the barn.
Here is another illustrationJesus used the kingdom of heaven
(09:20):
is like a mustard seed plantedin a field.
Jesus also used thisillustration.
Jesus always used stories andillustrations like these when
speaking to the crowds.
In fact, he never spoke to themwithout using such parables.
This fulfilled what God spokethrough the prophets.
I will speak to you in parablesand I will explain these things
hidden since the creation ofthe world.
(09:42):
Then, leaving the crowdsoutside, Jesus went into the
house and his disciples saidPlease explain to us the story
of the weeds in the field.
Jesus replied the Son of man isthe farmer who plants the good
seed.
The field is the world and thegood seed represents the kingdom
of God or the people of thekingdom.
Weeds are the people who belongto the evil one.
(10:04):
The enemy who planted the weedsamong the wheat is the devil.
The harvest is the end of theworld and the harvesters are the
angels.
Just as the weeds are sortedout and burned in the fire, so
it will be at the end of theworld.
The Son of man will send Hisangels and they will remove from
His kingdom everything thatcauses sin and all who do evil,
(10:28):
and the angels will throw theminto the fiery furnace where
there will be weeping andgnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shinelike the sun in their father's
kingdom.
Anyone who has ears to hearshould listen and understand.
The kingdom of heaven is like atreasure that a man discovered
hidden in a field.
In his excitement, he hid itagain and sold everything he
(10:51):
owned to get enough money to buythe field Again.
The kingdom of heaven is like amerchant on the lookout for a
choice pearl.
When he discovered the pearl,of great value, he sold
everything he owned and boughtit Again.
The kingdom of heaven is like afishing net that was thrown
into the water and caught fishof every kind.
When the net was full, theydragged it up onto the shore,
(11:13):
sat down and sorted out all thegood fish into crates, but threw
the bad ones away.
That is the way it will be atthe end of the world.
The angels will come andseparate the wicked people from
the righteous, throwing thewicked into the fiery furnace
where they will be weeping andgnashing of teeth.
Do you understand all thesethings?
Yes, they said we do.
(11:33):
Then he added Every teacher ofreligious law who becomes a
disciple in the kingdom ofheaven is like a homeowner who
brings out his storeroom of newgems of truth as well as old.
When Jesus had finished tellingall these stories and
illustrations, he left that partof the country and he returned
to Nazareth, his hometown.
When he taught there in thesynagogue, everyone was amazed
(11:56):
and said where does he get thiswisdom and power to do miracles?
Then they scoffed he's just thecarpenter's son, and we know
Mary, his mother and hisbrothers, James, Joseph, Simon
and Judas.
All of his sisters live righthere among us.
Where did he learn all of thesethings, and they were deeply
(12:16):
offended and refused to believein him.
Then Jesus told them a prophetis honored everywhere except in
his own hometown and among hisown family.
So he did only a few miraclesthere because of their unbelief.
So what we got to see is isJesus is telling us that the
kingdom of heaven is amultifaceted world, that it's
(12:41):
full of good things, deepunderstanding and amazing
opportunities to know God more.
If you notice, there was threeor four times it stood out where
he would say that there areseasons when there are people
who are in the kingdom of Godand people who only are
pretending to be part of thekingdom of God and we really
(13:02):
don't know.
Only God knows and only at theend will God know people's
hearts and he will separatethose who are wicked and those
who are good.
So he says there will beseasons when you won't always be
certain what's our job.
Keep growing, Keep movingforward and trust that God knows
our hearts and he will keepgoing.
(13:22):
I think my favorite parable inthere is when he talks about
that there was a man who saw atreasure and when he found the
treasure, he hid the treasureback where it was and then he
went and sold everything he hadto obtain that field that had
that treasure, treasure.
He hid the treasure back whereit was and then he went and sold
everything he had to obtainthat field that had that
treasure.
Can I tell you I have seen thatso many times in my own life and
in the lives of others thatwhen people begin reading God's
(13:45):
Word, when they discover who Godis, they will change everything
about their life so that theycan experience more of God.
Can I tell you, that's my hopefor you today.
My hope for you today is thatyou will discover so much more
of God that nothing else willsatisfy and you will literally
(14:06):
just sell all of yourpossessions.
What I mean by that is notnecessarily your physical
possessions, but you're willingto sell your past mistakes, your
addictions, your holding on toother things, and you'll say I
want to change everything aboutmy life.
I want to hold on to Jesusbecause what I have found in him
is more precious and morevaluable than anything else.
(14:29):
Now it's going to come with acost.
Notice how, at the very end ofthe chapter, it said that Jesus
went back to his hometown and hewanted to do some of the great
things that he had done in otherplaces in his hometown.
The only difference was theydidn't receive him and they were
unwilling to receive what hewas doing.
And so if they didn't alwaysreceive Jesus, then people will
(14:52):
not always receive our pursuitof God.
What do we do?
We keep on growing.
We keep telling people I am notany better than you.
I didn't come here to try tobrag on myself.
I'm just telling you I'm betterthan I would be without Jesus,
and I invite you to join in thejourney, becoming part of the
kingdom of God.
And as we do this, our livesbecome living parables.
(15:14):
We become living stories of thegoodness of God.
Let's pray together right now.
God, thank you so much fortoday.
Thank you for your word thatteaches us that you're on the
move, that you're doing so manygood things in our lives.
My prayer today, God, is thatwe would become living parables.
We would become examples ofyour goodness, become living
parables.
We will become examples of yourgoodness, examples of your
(15:36):
glory, and that we, God, will bethe very best story of what you
can do in a life.
We celebrate you today InJesus' name.
We pray Amen, Amen.
God's word says in Matthew 28,verse 19,.
All authority and in heaven andearth has been given to me.
Jesus said go therefore andmake disciples of all nations.
I pray that through our timetogether, every day, you are
(15:59):
becoming a fully devotedfollower of Jesus Christ.
I love you.
I'll see you tomorrow forMatthew, chapter 14.
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