/
RSS Feed
This sermon by Bill Teubl focuses on the parables of Jesus in Matthew 13, exploring how meditating on them helps us understand the mysteries of God’s kingdom. He emphasizes that parables reveal how God is at work in the world, especially during difficult times, and encourages believers to patiently dwell on these truths for deeper spiritual insight and encouragement.
[00:00:00]Jesus taught in parables to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and meditating on them provides understanding that analytical discussion cannot.[00:02:13]The speaker shares that his own understanding was greatly helped by the writings of German theologian Helmut Thielicke, who preached in post-World War II Germany.[00:04:51]The sermon examines the seven parables in Matthew 13, focusing on the images themselves rather than their interpretations to draw out deeper meaning.[00:05:47]1. The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9) is read, describing seed falling on a path, rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil.[00:06:36]2. The Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30) is read, where an enemy sows weeds among the wheat, and the master instructs to let both grow until the harvest.[00:07:48]3. The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32) is read, comparing the kingdom to the smallest seed that grows into a large tree.[00:08:12]4. The Parable of the Leaven (Matthew 13:33) is read, where a woman mixes leaven into flour until it was all leavened.[00:08:25]5. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44) is read, where a man sells all he has to buy a field with hidden treasure.[00:08:35]6. The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value (Matthew 13:45-46) is read, where a merchant sells everything to buy one priceless pearl.[00:08:47]7. The Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-50) is read, comparing the kingdom to a net that gathers fish, with the good separated from the bad at the end of the age.[00:11:35]The three “seed” parables (The Sower, The Weeds, and The Mustard Seed) are grouped together as they all involve the sowing and growth of seed, representing the word of God.[00:15:15]A key takeaway is that the seed of God’s word takes time to bring forth results, and we must be patient with its growth in our lives and others’.[00:16:30]The Parable of the Sower prompts the question: “When the seed is sown in me, what determines whether it does well or not?” The focus is on the condition of the soil (the person).[00:17:07]The Parable of the Weeds prompts a second question: “If the seed grows, what are the implications?” This focuses on what happens when good and evil grow together.[00:18:18]The four soils are not necessarily permanent states; soil can be changed and improved through God’s work and our response.[00:20:33]The “path” soil represents a hard, busy life where the word cannot take root.[00:22:26]The “rocky ground” soil represents a lack of depth and root, which is addressed through serious discipleship and responding to God.[00:25:01]The “thorny” soil is the most subtle, representing cares, pleasures, and the deceitfulness of riches that choke the word.
[00:30:02]The Parable of the Weeds teaches that the kingdom is like a field where both good seed (God’s word) and weeds (from the enemy) are allowed to grow together.[00:33:34]A primary lesson from the Parable of the Weeds is not to fret that Satan sows his seed, that it grows, or that it grows next to us, as fretting only tends to evil.[00:34:54]The emphasis should be on properly nurturing the good seed to maturity; evil will be separated from good at the harvest, not before.[00:36:57]In areas where we have God-given authority (like a home or church), we have a responsibility to guard what seed is sown. In areas where we lack authority, we should not fret.
Scripture References
- Matthew 13
- Colossians 2
Generated by AI model deepseek-chat