Sermon Tone Analysis

*Kingdom Secrets #1*

       I.

Intro: Secret Codes

    II.

Explain Series: Kingdom Secrets: A Study of the Parables of Jesus

* III.

*Big Idea: *Why did Jesus Speak in Parables?*

IV.

Read Text: Matthew 13:10-17

    V.

What is a Parable?

a.       /Parabolē/ (*parable*) is a compound word made up of a form of the verb /ballō/ (to throw, lay, or place) and the prefix para (meaning alongside of).

The idea is that of placing, or laying, something alongside of something else for the purpose of comparison.[1]

(Macarthur)

b.

A parable is a story from real life or a real life situation from which a moral or spriritual truth is drawn.[2]

c.       Understanding parables is important because “parables make up approximately 35 percent of his recorded sayings”[3]

d.      Biblical examples of parables:

*                                                              i.

*In the OT: *2 Samuel 12:1-7(read)*

*                                                            ii.

*Jesus spoke parables

*                                                          iii.

*James spoke in parables- the tongue

* VI.

*What were the parables about?

*a.      *Kingdom of Heaven

*                                                              i.

*This has two aspects:  His reign over all in heaven and His reign on the earth

/                                                            ii.

/Macarthur breaks this phrase down for us,/”// //One title emphasizes the King (God) and the other emphasizes the sphere of His reign (heaven).

Of this kingdom the Old Testament gives only limited and incomplete glimpses.

Most messianic prophecies in the Old Testament point to Christ’s second coming and the establishment of His earthly millennial kingdom and His subsequent eternal kingdom.

Only hints are given about His present earthly *kingdom*, that began with His rejection and crucifixion and will continue until He returns.

This is the *kingdom* that exists spiritually in the hearts of His people while the King is physically absent from the earth.

He is present with believers, but He is not visible or evident to the world, except as revealed through their lives and testimony.*[4]*

/

 

                                                          iii.

Those on this earth that serve Christ, we are the ones who facilitate the Kingdom of Heaven through our actions and our attitude.

We represent this kingdom to the world.

That is why Paul illustrates Christians as aliens to this world and citizens to heaven.

*VII.

**BIG IDEA: Why did Jesus teach on the Kingdom of Heaven in Parables?*

a.

The answer: To reveal truth and to conceal truth!

i.

Vs.

10-13

b.

Some have access and some do not!

i.

Illustration: Bank manager- I had access to the vault to count the money and order more money if needed.

I had the combination to the vault door, to the money vault and I could unlock any safe deposit box in the bank.

I had that access because of my commitment at that bank as a branch manager.

c.       Jesus explains the access to this truth of the kingdom is based on two commitments:

*                                                              i.

**Rejection of Christ v.14-16*

1.      Isaiah prophesied this many years before and it already came true once when Israel was captured by the Babylonians and sent into exile from Jerusalem.

He tells them that they had received the clear message to turn toward the Lord and away from their sin, but they rejected that.

So he concealed the message in secret code like the parables which could not be understood without interpretation.

They could get the truth if they sought after the truth, like the Ethiopian Eunuch who read the Scriptures and sought out an answer to its meaning.

2.

The scriptures say those that reject Christ would have:

a.       *A thick heart:* the NT language says that they reject Christ because they have  a thick heart or a calloused heart.

This is a spiritual metaphor for the truth of Scripture unable to penetrate the heart because of its harness.

i.

What hardens the heart?

In Romans, Paul shows us the progression of sin that hardens the heart:

*1.      **Romans 1:18-32*

*b.      **Heavy ears: *this means that the people stopped listening to the truth spoken by God.

They refused to listen to claim ignorance, or they hear it so much, it has no effect on them.

Regardless, it is a deliberate action.

/                                                                                                                                      i.

// Zechariah 7:8-12 (ESV)8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.

12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets.

Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts./

*c.       **Eyes sewn shut: *the y were not willing to see the divine being in front of them.

Jesus did miracles before their eyes and they ultimately denied he was the Son of God. 

*                                                            ii.

**Accepting Christ: vs. 15b-16*

*1.      *Jesus then explains that if they would have accepted and followed Him, they would understand the truths of his teachings and eventually his parables.

*2.

*First of all, this acceptance of Jesus is truly accepting a life of slavery toward Christ.

We so often times water down the gospel promising people that if they pray a recited prayer that will constitute them a place in heaven.

But this week at a  pastor’s conference I went to, I was reminded a an important truth:  We were created by God, yet to slaves to sin, but when we accept Christ, we go from slave to sin to slave to God.

That is what a commitment to Christ means.

That is why in Matt.

12, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for saying he did miracles in the power of Satan.

He says that real fruit trees will bear fruit and if we have submitted to being a slave to Christ, then our actions will prove that.

Many of you say Christ is your Lord and Savior but I do not see that fruit in your lives.

*3.

*Only as Christians will be understand the mysteries of God and so I challenge you before we begin this series that if you are not a true slave of Christ, then these parables will be “an interesting but pointless story conveying no revelation of divine truth.”

[5] If you are true slave to Christ, then the truth of the parables will open your eyes to the function of the Kingdom of Heaven and your spiritual understanding will grow.

Kingdom Secrets #2- The Seeds for the Heart

*1.      **Introduction- *

| Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming time to choose his successor.

Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different.

He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day.

He said, “It has come time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor.

I have decided to choose one of you.”

The kids were shocked!

But the emperor continued.

“I am going to give each one of you a seed today.

One seed.