“The King and the Kingdom”

(Matthew 13:44-58)

Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

September 22, 2019

The Passage

Matthew 13:44-58

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish, 48 and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 “Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “Yes.”

52 “Therefore,” he said to them, “every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom treasures new and old.”

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he left there. 54 He went to his hometown and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all these things?” 57 And they were offended by him.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household.” 58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Introductory Comments:

I’m part of a group that centers around physical fitness and team building while wearing rucksacks, or backpacks. It’s really not that special, we walk around like a bunch of kids with backpacks on, but we pay money to do it. Well, this company, which is called GORUCK has created their own backpacks, or rucksacks. They’ve created lots of different ones over the years in different sizes and colors. In order to make a little extra spending money I buy and resell these rucksacks when I can. It’s sort of a fun challenge to see if I can turn a profit. Well, among these people that buy and resell these a term has developed concerning the rucksacks. The terms is unicorn. A unicorn is a rare rucksack that you hardly ever see. Perhaps it’s a certain model, size, or color that’s not made any more. Well, if you can find a true unicorn rucksack, you can find something of value. Something that’s worth a lot (relatively speaking). 

Today, in Matthew 13, we’re going to hear from Jesus some more parables which speak about the value of the kingdom of heaven. In part, we’re going to learn what the kingdom really is worth. 

Before we do, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us. 

(prayer)

Jesus is in the middle of a flurry of parables that teach us more about the kingdom of heaven.

The people of God have heard about the kingdom before, but now they are hearing about it in a new and revolutionary way. Jesus is revealing more and more and the wheels are spinning faster and faster as the kingdom of heaven starts to come to light. 

Now, Jesus is going to show us even more. Let’s learn these four revelations today about the kingdom, four things that Jesus will reveal to us:

The first revelation, . . .

I. The kingdom is priceless (vv. 44-46) [on screen]

Listen now as Jesus now as Jesus speaks to this. Let’s look at Matthew 13:44-46. 

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46

“Weeds, Wheat, Seeds, and Dough”

(Matthew 13:24-43)

Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

September 15, 2019

The Passage

Matthew 13:24-43

24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27 The landowner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he told them. “‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up?’ the servants asked him. 29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’”

31 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” 33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.”

34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and he did not tell them anything without a parable, 35 so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: I will open my mouth in parables; I will declare things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He replied: “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen.

Introductory Comments:

We’re back in the book of Matthew after a short break.  

We’re right in the middle of a section where Jesus is teaching in parables. He has gained a lot of followers, made some enemies, and is continuing to teach through parables and bless others through miracles. 

Today, Jesus is going to teach us more about the kingdom of heaven. 

Before we dive into these parables, let’s go to God in prayer.

(prayer)

Have you ever had some things mixed together that all of a sudden became a pain to sort? In our house, it’s Legos. We get Legos mixed up with things all the time. I firmly believe that at this point we don’t have any container of Legos in our house that doesn’t have something else mixed in. 

Well, today Jesus shares a parable about some things being mixed together. Through this parable, and others, Jesus is teaching us about the kingdom of heaven. 

Remember, Jesus has already been sharing through parables. Last time we were in Matthew we heard about the message of the kingdom being received in four different ways. We learned that the good seed that takes root will eventually lead to someone who produces good fruit in the kingdom of God. 

Today, Jesus will talk about the kingdom of heaven. There were a lot of ideas about what the kingdom was like, so Jesus sought to bring clarity about what it’s really like, and

“We Want You Here”

Invite Your One Sunday [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

September 8, 2019

Introductory Comments:

Today is a special Sunday for our church. This is “Invite Your One” Sunday. Every person who is a regular part of our church was challenged to bring at least one guest this week. 

To all of our guests, we want to say, “Welcome!” We’re so glad that you’re here. We want you here. 

Some of you may have had people invite you to church before and you might wonder what the deal is with that. 

Well, just so you know, there’s not a competition in Bartow to see which church can have the highest attendance. None of our church members work on commission. There’s no trophy for the person who brings the most guests. 

We want you here for a reason, actually several reasons, which we will talk about this morning. 

Before we do, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to bless our time together. 

(prayer)

Have you ever been invited to someone’s house and you’re not really sure why? Sometimes you wonder, are they trying to sell us something? Do they want me to donate a kidney? Do they want us to be godparents for their kids? Your mind may start to race when this happens. 

Well, rest assured that we’re not selling you anything this morning, you can keep your kidneys, and I’m not yet ready for you to be godparents to my kids. 

However, there are at least three specific reasons we want you here at First Baptist Church Bartow. 

Let’s dive into those now.

First, . . .

I. We want you here because God loves you.  [on screen]

This is not just some cliché. God really does love you. 

You see, in the book of Genesis, we learn that God created everything in this world and the pinnacle of His creation was mankind. It was you! He loves you! In fact, Genesis chapter 1 tells us: 

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.” [on screen]

God did not have to create us, and He certainly didn’t have to create us in His image, but He did so because He loves us!

Not only that, after we rejected God’s way for our lives and went our own way, after we sinned against our holy Creator God, He showed love for us again by sending His Son to rescue us from our sin. 

Perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, says this: 

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [on screen]

John is telling us that God loves us so much that we can actually measure it, in part, in the fact that He sent His Son to die for our sins. 

The apostle Paul also speaks of this. You might think, “Well how do I know that God loves me?” Well, Paul answers that in Romans 5:8. He says,

8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [on screen]

The death of Jesus Christ for you and me is proof that God loves us. God loves you and me: sinners, and He proved His love for us. 

Listen, we want you here because God loves you. We want you to know about and experience the love of God. We want you to feel God’s love. We want you to be changed by God’s love. 

Second, not only does God love you, but . . .

II. We want you here because we love you. [on screen]

Can you believe that? We love you!

I’m not sure if you caught this earlier during the welcome time, but our very vision statement consists of us loving others. We exist to develop disciples who love God, love the church, and love others. We exist to love you!

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-38:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yo

“Why should I be part of the church?”

Series: The Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

September 1, 2019

Introductory Comments:

Well, this is it. We are concluding our four-week series on the Church.

Next week, we’ll have a special message for Invite Your One, and then we’ll be back in the book of Matthew. I can’t wait; I miss Matthew. However, I’ve enjoyed our series on the Church. 

Thus far we’ve learned what the church is, we’ve learned who leads and serves the church, and we’ve learned what the ordinances of the church are.

Today, let’s talk about why all of this matters for you. You might have this question, “Why should I be part of the church?” Well, today we’re going to answer that question. Before we do, let’s pray together.

(prayer)

Have you ever had someone share some information with you and you kind of wonder, “Why does that matter to me?” Perhaps you’ll say to the person, “Thanks for sharing that,” but you don’t know what else to say. 

Well, I don’t want anyone to feel that way after hearing about the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What the Bible teaches about the church matters. You need to know why you should be a part of the church. 

We’re going to discover four answers to the question of why you should be part of the church. Are you ready?

First, . . .

I. The Bible teaches it. [on screen]

The Word of God teaches that you should be part of a church. 

Perhaps the most famous passage on this topic is from Hebrews 10. Listen to what the author of Hebrews says:

23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching. [on screen]

The people of God are designed to gather together. 

There is a “oneanotherness” in the church of Jesus Christ. You are not called to live out your faith alone. You are called to be a part of a body of other followers of Jesus Christ. 

The author of Hebrews explicitly says not to neglect to gather together. Therefore, if you neglect to gather together, you are violating the Word of God. 

Additionally, listen to what Paul says in Romans 12:4-5:

4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. [on screen]

Remember, the church refers to the gathered people. The Bible gives many pictures of the church which speak of a plurality of members, including a body. 

We’ll talk about this again, but for now, we can see that the Bible explicitly says that the body is made up of individual members. If you are an individual follower of Jesus Christ, you should be a member of a body of Christians; you should be a member of a church. 

Again, Paul speaks in Ephesians 2:18-19:

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household. [on screen]

Paul not only says we are members of the body of Christ, but we are members of God’s household. If you are a member of God’s household, you must be present with God’s household; you must be present with your brothers and sisters in Christ. 

The Christian faith is not designed by God to be lived out in isolation. It’s meant to be lived out as part of a church family. 

The Bible teaches this fact. 

The Bible teaches that you should be part of a church. 

Second, . . .

II. The church needs you. [on screen]

The church cannot function without individuals members.

Listen to what Paul says about this in 1 Corinthians 12. 

12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one bo

“What are the ordinances of the church?”

Series: The Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

August 25, 2019

Introductory Comments:

In my office, I have some different pictures of my family. I don’t have those pictures because I forget what my family looks like. I can identify them in a lineup at any time. I have pictures of them because I love them and I want to focus on them. 

We’re continuing our series on the Church where we are learning what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ. 

Today, we will learn about the ordinances of the church. We’re going to learn that the ordinances of the church help us remember and focus upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Before we get into this, let’s pray together and ask God’s Spirit to lead us. 

(prayer)

At First Baptist Church Bartow we believe that there are two ordinances of the church, and we will look at both of those this morning. 

Before we get into the two specific ordinances, let’s talk about what ordinances are. 

Our first area of concentration is this:

I. The ordinances of the church are opportunities to focus on the Gospel. [on screen]

Many of you may not know what an ordinance is when it comes to the church. You may hear the word “ordinance” and think of a city ordinance. 

Well, that’s not what we’re talking about this morning. 

We call these ordinances because they were ordained, decreed, or commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ. These two ordinances are clear from the lips of Jesus Himself, as we’ll see later in the sermon. Anytime Jesus says to do something we must pay attention. 

These two ordinances, or sacraments as they are sometimes called, are not only ordained by Jesus Himself but they are also beautiful reminders of the Gospel and they are opportunities for us to focus on the Gospel. Listen to what the Bible says about this: 

Speaking of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus says in Luke 22:19 “ . . . Do this in remembrance of me.” [on screen]

Also, we’ll talk about this more later, but Paul says of baptism in Romans 6:5, “For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.” [on screen]

The ordinances help us focus on Jesus and His work. 

We’ll see this even more as we explore the ordinances in just a moment. 

The early Protestant Reformers used to say that the ordinances were visible words of the Gospel. I like that. We hear the Gospel preached with audible words and see the Gospel displayed with visible words through the ordinances. 

So, we hear the Gospel preached through sermon and Bible study, we sing about the Gospel through musical worship, we fellowship because of the Gospel, we give for the sake of the Gospel, and we see the Gospel displayed in the ordinances of the church. 

Let’s look now at the ordinances. 

First, . . .

II. We remember the Gospel in the Lord’s Supper. [on screen]

The beginnings of the Lord’s Supper go back to the last meal that Jesus and His apostles would share before His crucifixion. 

Jesus and the apostles were all Jewish and they were preparing to celebrate the Passover meal: the meal which remembered God’s grace in passing over the people of Israel when all the first-born of Egypt died, and they remembered God’s deliverance of them from Egyptian slavery. 

The apostles did not fully understand that they would soon celebrate a greater Passover found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

So, they gathered together and Jesus spoke of what was to come in His crucifixion. Listen to the account of this in Matthew 26:26-30. 

26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until

“Who leads and serves the church? 

Series: The Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

August 18, 2019

Introductory Comments:

Have you ever been a part of a leaderless organization? It’s a mess. All organizations need leaders! Whether it’s a home, a business, a sports team, or a church, a leader is needed. 

We know from God’s Word that the ultimate head, foundation, and leader of the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ. 

As we think of Jesus as the leader of the universal, capital “C,” Church, we must recognize that as the chief Shepherd, Jesus has also enlisted other leaders for individual local churches. 

Today, we’re going to learn who leads and serves those local churches. 

Before we dive into this question, let’s pray together and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us. 

(prayer)

As we discover what the Bible says regarding church leadership we must first discuss a foundational truth that we believe concerning local churches. That truth is that we believe that local churches are autonomous and congregationally led. 

When we say that First Baptist Church Bartow is autonomous that means that we do not answer to anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no governing organization that tells us what to do; there is no bishop, pope, or patriarch to whom we answer; and there is no one who decides what we preach, whom we hire, and what kind of building we have. We willingly choose to affiliate and cooperate with other churches and organizations, but we do not answer to anyone else. 

We say that the church is congregationally led in that it is ultimately governed by the congregation. The congregation chooses the pastor, votes in members, practices discipline, approves budgets, makes up its committees, and more. Furthermore, every member of the church has a voice in the church. While the church may be led by certain people, and certain decisions may be made by those leaders, ultimately the congregation is responsible for itself. 

We believe in the autonomous church and the congregationally led church because that is the picture we have in the New Testament. When it comes to church matters, there was no governing structure beyond the local churches in the Bible, and there should be no governing structure beyond the local church today. 

Although the authority rests with the local church, she still must have leaders, both for practical reasons and for biblical reasons. Let us then discuss the biblical offices for New Testament local churches. 

First, . . .

I. Pastors are called to lead and teach the church. [on screen]

God, indeed, has a plan for the church to be led and that plan is for pastors to lead churches. This is the way God designed it. 

Before we get into what the Bible says regarding pastors, let’s get our language correct concerning pastors. 

The Bible uses two main Greek words to refer to what we call pastors. These words are presbuterous, which translates as “elder” or “shepherd;” and the word episkop, which translates as “bishop” or “overseer.” In only one instance, Paul also uses the word poimenas to refer to a pastor. 

It’s clear from their usage that these titles for pastors are used interchangeably in Scripture. The terms elder, shepherd, overseer, bishop, and pastor all refer to what we know of today as the leader of a local church, a pastor. 

As one preacher pointed out, the terms elder and pastor go together like the terms dad and father. They essentially mean the same thing.

So, with that understanding, listen to what God’s Word says about pastors as leaders of the church:

Read Acts 14:23 

23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. [on screen]

The apostles and the early Christians planted churches like crazy during the early days. When they did so, they appointed elders, or pastors. Every church needed pastors. 

Read Acts 20:17

17 Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and s

“What is the Church?”

(Selected Passages)

Series: The Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

August 11, 2019

Introductory Comments:

If I were to ask you to describe First Baptist Church Bartow, where would you start? 

Some might say that it’s a large church in downtown Bartow. A lot of people ask me, “Is that the church by the city building?”

Perhaps you would describe it with traditional architecture with a modern ministry center built on. 

Maybe you’d describe it as having a young preacher with a certain style of worship. 

We’re going to learn today that those descriptors don’t really describe a church. They describe where the church meets, the style of the church’s worship, and more. 

So, what is the Church? That’s what we’ll be studying in today’s sermon. 

Before we do so, let’s go to the Lord in prayer. 

(prayer)

We’re starting a new topical series. We’re taking a short break from our verse-by-verse study from the book of Matthew. We will be doing a sermon series on the Church. Here are the questions which we will answer from the Word of God throughout the next few weeks: What is the Church? Who leads and serves the Church? What are the ordinances of the Church? Why should I be part of the Church?

This morning we will answer the question, “What is the Church?”

Well, first of all, the Greek word from which we get church is ekklēsia. This word occurs 114 times in the New Testament. Ekklēsia means “gathering,” “meeting,” or “assembly.”

So, literally speaking, a church is a gathering. Well, what kind of gathering? We’ll answer that question today. 

Let’s look at three aspects of the Church this morning to discover what the Church is. 

First, . . .

I. The Foundation of the Church [on screen]

Let me ask you this, who do you think is in charge of the Church?

Jesus is in charge of the Church! Listen as the Bible describes this.

First, the Church will be built upon Jesus and the confession that He is Messiah. I read this passage earlier in the service. Listen to what Jesus says about the foundation of the Church:

Matthew 16:17: “17 Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” [on screen]

Some say the rock here is Peter, but I disagree. Jesus is the rock!

The foundation is not Peter, the foundation is Jesus and the confession that He is the Messiah. Jesus is building the Church upon Himself!

Second, Jesus is also the head over everything for the Church. Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians. 

Ephesians 1:22-23: “22 And he (God) subjected everything under his feet and appointed him (Jesus) as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. [on screen]

Jesus is the head of the Church! He’s in charge!

Third, we also hear Peter call Jesus the chief Shepherd. Listen to 1 Peter 5:4. 

1 Peter 5:4: 4 And when the chief Shepherd (Jesus) appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. [on screen]

Jesus is the chief Shepherd over all the Church! Pastors are shepherds but Jesus is the chief Shepherd. He’s in charge!

Fourth, again, in Ephesians, Paul speaks about the authority of Jesus, calling Him the cornerstone. Look at Ephesians 2. 

Ephesians 2:19-21: 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [on screen]

 

Jesus is the cornerstone, that is the most important stone in the building, which holds everything else in place. He’s in charge!

Jesus is in charge of the Church. He is the head, He is the chief shepherd, He is the cornerstone, He i

“Sow What?”

(Matthew 13:1-23)

Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

August 4, 2019

The Passage

Matthew 13:1-23

1 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.

3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. 9 Let anyone who has ears listen.”

10 Then the disciples came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?”

11 He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. 12 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You will listen and listen, but never understand; you will look and look, but never perceive. 15 For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back—and I would heal them. 16 “Blessed are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.

18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. 20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

Introductory Comments:

We’re continuing our series in the book of Matthew. Today will be our last time in Matthew for a few weeks as we’re going to take a short break while we consider a series on the Church.

Chapter 13 begins a section where Jesus begins a series of parables. A parable is an earthly story which communicates a heavenly meaning. It’s also been said that a parable compares something familiar with something unfamiliar. These parables helped Jesus’ followers then, and us today, to understand what He’s communicating.

Today we’re going to consider a famous parable concerning four groups of seeds. We’re going to learn how these seeds take root based on the conditions of the soil in which they are planted.

Let’s pray and ask God to speak to us as we study this parable. 

(prayer)

Illustration: You’ve heard me talk about my tomatoes before. I bought three grape tomato plants and I was having trouble getting them to grow, so I changed the condition. I replanted them in larger pots with more soil and they started to grow quickly. As time went on,

“Hearts Devoted to God”

(Matthew 12:33-50)

Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

July 28, 2019

The Passage

Matthew 12:33-50

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. 35 A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

39 He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching; and look—something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look—something greater than Solomon is here.

43 “When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any. 44 Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”

46 While he was still speaking with the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

48 He replied to the one who was speaking to him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 49 Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Introductory Comments:

Illustration: One of my favorite shows to watch with my boys is “Forged in Fire” on The History Channel. It’s relatively clean and it involves blades, fire, and hitting things with hammers, so we enjoy watching it. Oftentimes, a blade-smith will produce a beautiful blade which they present to the judges and it nearly looks perfect. However, one of the tests the judges perform on the blade is the strength test. Frequently the viewer will see a beautiful blade snap in half during the strength test. When you look at the inside of the blade, you can see an issue with the grain on the inside of the blade. The core of the blade was bad. The heart of the blade was bad and the blade ended up being thrown to the side and was good for nothing.

In today’s passage, Jesus is addressing the heart. He is addressing hearts that are full of evil, He’s addressing evil filling hearts further, He’s addressing hearts that won’t believe in Him, and He is pointing us towards having obedient hearts. 

Before we journey through this passage, let’s pray together.

(prayer)

Remember the context of Matthew 12. Jesus is speaking to those who are doubting His supernatural power and who are denying the very power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus warns them against committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, a sin which will not be forgiven. 

Now, He addresses the hearts of the Pharisees and others who refuse to believe in

“The Power of Jesus”

(Matthew 12:22-32)

Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

July 21, 2019

The Passage

If you haven’t already, turn in your Bibles to Matthew 12:22-32. 

I’ll read the entire passage and then we’ll pray. 

Matthew 12:22-32

22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. He healed him, so that the man could both speak and see. 23 All the crowds were astounded and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

24 When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

25 Knowing their thoughts, he told them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28 If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. 30 Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.

Let’s pray together.

(prayer)

Introductory Comments:

This morning we will be speaking about the power of Jesus. The power of Jesus is on full display throughout His ministry, yet some, such as the Pharisees, doubt and critique His power. 

In this passage, Jesus has a strong response to those who doubt His power. He not only logically defends His power, but He also issues a dire warning about where this doubt and lack of repentance may lead. 

As we journey through this together, we will look at four situations involving the power of Jesus. 

First, . . .

I. The Power of Jesus recognized (vv. 22-23) [on screen]

Let’s refer to verses 23 and 24 again. 

We see that Jesus is once again faced with a demon-possessed man. This is nothing new to Him. Jesus has shown His dominance over demonic activity, He has shown His desire to help those in need, and He has shown His divine power to heal. 

This man is both unable to see and unable to speak. He is blind and mute. We learn that his physical issues may very well have been the result of demonic possession. 

Nevertheless, Jesus can heal the man and, in fact, He does heal the man completely from his physical issues.

The healing of the man is so powerful and so obvious that the crowds who were around were astounded to the point that they said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

The people of Jesus’ day knew that the Messiah, the Christ, would come from the line of David. 

There were rumblings that Jesus may very well be the Messiah. He may not be the kind of Messiah that they expected, but He was doing Messiah-like things. Folks were wondering about Jesus. Now, they see this great miracle and they ask again, “Could He be the one? Could it really be true? Is this the Messiah? Could this be the Son of David?”

Jesus was proving time again that He really was sent by God, that He really was ushering in the kingdom of God, and that He really was doing the work of God. 

Now, the people are saying, “He must be the one!”

They recognized the power of Jesus. 

Next, we see . . .

II. The Power of Jesus questioned (vv. 24-27) [on screen]

The Pharisees could no longer deny the work of Jesus. Everyone was witnessing it and hearing about it themselves. 

Remember, the Pharisees hated the work of Jesus. We learned in verse 14 of this chapter that they were so infuriated w