River Bible Church | Dustin Daniels

What good is a fruit tree if it doesn’t produce any fruit? It’s not good — Jesus actually curses a fruit tree and kills it for not doing what its designed to do. (Mark 11:12) All that to say this — we learned that the first three soils are spiritually dirty and polluted. There was no purity to the soil—those soils are all contaminated. Those soils (aka people’s hearts) have a mixture of other loves and priorities in this life that prevent them from bearing fruit. So, we are zero for three. The question before us today is, how do we hear, listen, believe, and actually produce spiritual fruit? In other words: How do we finish life well? The answer lies in the fourth soil.

Today, we’ll study the Parable of the Sower/Seed/Soils. Now titles matter. Jesus has many titles — sermons have titles. Both are important. While it might be tempting to focus on the sower or even the seed — this parable’s main focus are the different types of soils. And the reason for that is because the sower and the seed remain the same throughout the entire parable. There is no variation between the farmer and his seed. However, there are variations/differences between the soils. So, if we were to title this parable theoretically — we would call it “The Parable of the Soils.” However, that title would only be half correct. When we look at Jesus’ explanation, we’ll notice that we miss a profoundly deep theological truth if we hear this story from a surface-level reading. So, if we want to be theoretically and theologically correct, we would title this parable “Three Ways to Spiritual Disaster.” What are the three ways?

In every book of the OT, we’ll see a ‘Plan B.’ And when we flip to the Gospels, we see God’s Plan B regarding the redemption of our sin. The Scribes and Pharisees have officially rejected Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. And Jesus says, “Fine, I’ve got Plan B. Jesus now has a new focus on how to complete His mission. Now, what would you recommend if you had a suggestion for Jesus on how to complete His mission? I would suggest Rambo or, at the very least, Jason Bourne. But killing everybody and starting over didn’t work the first time — just ask Noah. So Jesus does something unthinkable today. What is it, and how does it apply to you today?

Today, we see that Jesus had human problems — relationship problems. Things are not well — all in the family. There is a family feud back in Nazareth. This strife has been brewing for probably about a year now. As you look at your own family — and the dysfunction in it — I pray that this passage will bring some relief to the problems you’re having. Because if Jesus had problems, you can guarantee we will too. What are these problems? How do they impact you today? Let’s find out as we learn how Jesus focuses on His family.

Today, Jesus points us back to the miracle He performed in —verses 22-32. That’s where Jesus healed a blind and deaf man who was possessed by a demon. So this is His conclusion to that miraculous healing. Ultimately, today’s passage shows us the consequences of trying to be a good person.

Today, unfortunately, the religious people are at it again. Their language continues to reveal the wickedness in their hearts. The way Matthew puts his Gospel together, is like today is an interruption to what Jesus is trying to teach the Scribes and Pharisees. Next week, we’ll see Jesus conclude thoughts good fruit and good deeds. Today, however, Matthew really shows us the audacity and nerve of these religious people. They demand a supernatural sign from Jesus to prove that He is the Messiah. Remember the comedian who had his whole bit, “Here’s your sign!” That’s where we are today — talking about signs. Question: Are we supposed to ask for signs and miracles? Let’s find out.

Today, Jesus addresses the heart of the matter regarding blasphemy and sin. Because it’s always a matter of the heart. The Scribes and Pharisees were dangerously close to committing the unforgivable sin — because their hearts were not right. And if our hearts are not right — our mouths won’t be either. Jesus has much to say about our hearts and our tongues today. What does that mean for us?

Yes, God is infinite — but his offer of salvation is not. There is a divine timeline that we’re all on! Now, please know that these two verses that we’re studying this morning are not easy to understand at first glance. These verses have been severely misinterpreted and misunderstood. Because of their eternal consequences attached to them, it is critical to understand them correctly — and that’s what we will do today.

Have you ever been lied to? How’d it feel? What if the lie has eternal consequences? There are many lies about Jesus that people believe today — the biggest one today is that Jesus wants you to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. (Prosperity Gospel). That’s not true — Jesus wants us to be holy. And Jesus also wanted the Pharisees to be holy — but they refused to listen to the truth. Because the Scribes and Pharisees didn’t listen to the truth, they listened to lies. The question before us is this — are we doing the same thing today — but in a different context? Let’s find out!

Today, Matt takes a break from all the drama of the Scribes and Pharisees and reveals how different Jesus truly is. He does this by taking us back to the OT prophet Isaiah. Matthew digs deep here because he wants us to know how different Jesus is from Israel’s spiritual leaders. While the Scribes and Pharisees were rude, demanding and harsh — The prophet Isaiah foretells with perfect accuracy the demeanor in which The Lord Jesus has and treats people. What are those characteristics, and how does it impact your life today? Let’s find out!