An Introduction to the Parables, Part 2b

If you have your Bible, it's with you to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13, we began our study not too long ago on the greatest stories ever told by the greatest preacher who ever lived. In the Matthew chapter 13, Christ begins speaking to a multitude of people in what the Bible calls parables. But Christ simply gives an earthly story a heavenly meaning. That's basically the definition of a parable. It's an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. To the disciples, they were given the mystery of the kingdom of God.

They were given the very heart of the gospel. To those outside the realm of Christ, they received nothing but parables, and they would lack the understanding, and they would not come to grips with it. Why? 1 Corinthians chapter 2 tells us that the natural man does not understand the things of God does not get them does not grasp them does not get them Christ is going to use parables because it's going to be their judgment for their failure to believe his word for the Lord predicted under Isaiah's ministry that people would not respond to him.

He predicted that they would hear and that they would not receive and they would become dull of hearing. He predicted that. And the context is now quoted in Matthew chapter 13. And you will note that this passage is quoted five times in the New Testament all dealing with Israel's rejection of the true gospel. Always. Those who refuse to see are punished by becoming unable to see. Those who refuse to see. hear are now going to be punished by not being able to hear any longer. They had deadened their own faculties.

They had continued in sin and they had become heartless, deaf, blind, and dumb the spiritual things. The willful rejection of Christ became the judicial rejection of Christ. There's a biblical principle you need to grasp. for if you accept the light of Christ Christ will give you more light but if you refuse the light of Christ Christ will dim that light until it becomes completely dark and therefore you'll never be able to receive the light that is so important verse 16 and 17 talks about the blessing It says, you're blessed.

Why? Because your eyes have seen. Your ears have heard. You are the blessed people. And I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desire to see what you see and did not see it. Do you know how blessed you are? What you're going to see? Nobody saw before you. What you're going to hear? Nobody heard before you, but you're going to get it. You are the blessed people. Christ says.

That's why, Luke 2445, when Christ, after his resurrection, What's in it for me? That's always the bottom line, right? What do I get out of this whole thing? I'm going to tell you. Number one, they display the severity of God's warning.

They display the severity of God's warning. Maybe you know someone, and God is warning them. Over in the book of Hebrews, I want to read to you the third chapter, seventh verse.

Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness. Where your father's tried me by testing me and saw my works for 40 years. Therefore, I was angry with this generation and said they always go astray in their heart, and they did not know my ways. As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart in falling away from the living God.

You will note that there are several warning passages in the book of Hebrews. People like to say, well, because he calls them brethren, they must be Christians, you know. When he calls them Holy Brethren in Hebrews, they're Christians, but when he calls them brethren, he just addresses them as a Jewish nation. He tells them, beware. Be on guard unless there comes some unbelieving heart welling up inside of you. Beware lest you become dull in your hearing. Beware lest you become like those in the wilderness.

Now he quotes from Psalm 95. Psalm 95 was a thousand years after the children walked in the wilderness. And the psalmist would use that as he wrote to his people not to develop a hard heart toward the things of God. Now, 2,000 years beyond that, the writer of Hebrews uses the exact same passage to say, listen, you need to understand what God's word says so that you don't have an evil heart of unbelief. Today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as in the day of provocation. Today, if you hear it, respond to it.

Whenever you hear the truth and don't respond to what the Spirit of God's convicting you about, guess what? you become numb. And the more you reject it, the more numb you become. The more calloused you become. The more hard-hearted you become. That's why the right of Hebrew says, today to hear a voice. Don't harden your heart. It's like Paul says, today is the day of salvation. Today is the acceptable time, not tomorrow. Nobody has a guarantee of tomorrow. today is the day of salvation. You need to understand this.

Remember Romans chapter 1, verses 18 and 25, God gave them over, three times it said God gave them over. God gave them over. God just kept giving them over. What did God do? That's called the wrath of God in terms of abandonment. Listen, when God gives you over to your sensual desires, when God gives you over to live in your sin when God just gives you over to continue doing what you've always done the last thing he says in Romans 1 he gives them over to a debased mind he gives them over to a mind that's futile that's insensitive that does not care anything about the things of God that's the worst place you can be if God abandoned you there is no opportunity to respond you hear people say you know you can respond anytime between now and the day you die not so not subtle not a course of course according to the word of God.

There comes a time when God abandoned you. It says that's it. There came a time in the life of those people who heard Christ day after day after day, and they followed him day after day after day and did not receive the words that he gave. He took away from them. He said, that's it. He confirmed them in their sinfulness. He confirmed the hardness of their heart. It's Christ who's doing it. How can it be unchrist-like? It's Christ who does it. This is what he says he's he's going to do i have to say this i wasn't going to say anything but i have to say something when someone says god bless america what are they saying what are they actually saying they really don't want god to bless them because you see if god is going to bless them the only way that can happen is that they come to god on god's terms and america is completely unwilling to do that they will not do that if you want to God to bless America.

You've got to be like the nation of Israel when they came to Ezra and they said, bring us the book. Bring us the book. Read from the book of the law. And as Ezra began to read from the book of the law, the people began to wail But if America never come to that point, God will never bless America. You can't expect a holy God to bless an unholy nation. It just doesn't happen. It sounds good. It feels good. Oh, God bless America. For that to happen, you've got to submit to God. You've got to resist the devil.

You've got to draw near to God and he will draw near to you. You've got to cleanse your hands. You've got to purify your hearts. You got a lament. You got a more. That's what James says in James 4, verse of 7.10. That's what you've got to do. But America doesn't want to do that. In fact, as I was reading today, I was reading the book of Proverbs, and listen to what it says. And you tell me if this is in America. It says this. How long will naive ones will you love simplicity and scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

Turn to my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make my words known to you. Because I called you, and you refused, I stretched out my hand, and no one paid attention. And you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof. I will even laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your dread comes. When your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you, Then they will call on me. They will say, God bless America, but I will not answer.

They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would not accept my counsel. They spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be sated with their own devices. That is the abandonment. men of God. That is God saying, that's it. It's over. I gave you my knowledge. I gave you my counsel. I gave you my word. And you spurned it. You turned against it. You hated knowledge. And so when your calamity comes, when your disaster comes, I will laugh at you.

I will mock you. And you will come back and you will cry to me and you will call for me to help you. And I will not help you. Now, I'm not sure that verse of scripture was read. Any of the churches that I know of, the day of remembrance of 9-11. But that's the truth. That's the truth. For the waywardness of the naive shall kill them and the complacency of fools shall destroy them. But, but he who listens to me shall live securely and shall be at ease from the dread of evil. Psalm 81. Jesus said, to his people.

my people did not listen to my voice. Israel did not obey me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart. They didn't listen.

I told them they didn't listen. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of the heart. Listen to what God says.

I gave them over to walk in their own devices. All that is is, is a reiteration of Romans chapter one. I just gave them over. Gus says, I told them what to do, I showed them what to do, and they would not listen.

So I gave them over to the stubbornness of the heart. It's given over to them. To live in their sin. But oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways. Oh, I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their adversaries. That's what I'll do for them. I will subdue their enemies. I would destroy their adversaries. Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to him and their time of punishment would be forever. But I would feed you with the finest of wheat and with honey from the rock, I would satisfy.

When the president of our country stands before the Pentagon and says, our confidence is in our military, I want to say, the Bible says, if you listen to God and walk in his ways he will subdue your enemies it's all it takes God says just listen just follow me all that to say this as long as America rebels against the authority of God's holy work and refuses to submit to every ordinance of the Word of God, he will never bless America.

Simple as it. No if, hands, or but. That's what the Word of God says. That's what happens with the parables. What's in it for you? Listen.

And follow what the Word of the Lord says. Do what he says. Don't turn him away. If you're here tonight and you've never given your life to Christ, you need to do so. Because you know what? You might be at the point of abandonment where God says, that's it.

the light goes out there comes a time when God says enough is enough and allows you to stay right in your sinful condition and you might say man this is great man I'm just doing what I want to do huh I want to do it this is great but you've been abandoned by God abandoned my God and eternity is just going to confirm that for you as you burn in unquenchable fire forever and ever and ever That's the saddest Saddest It's a severe warning We can't play games of God We live in a culture where the evangelical church today speaks of God as if he is the great big buddy Of every single buddy every single person in the world He's not that way You can't fool with God You can't play games with God God, but people want to play games with him.

You want to play word games with him. Can't do that. God is serious about what he says. And maybe God's asking you to do something. You're a believer in the scene. It'll be very wise for you to listen to what he says. Very wise. If God's calling you to the mission fields of the world, you better go. You better go. You better go. You've not stay here. Don't stay here. We don't want you here if God's calling you. to the mission deals of the world. If God's called you to be married, you better get married.

If God's called you to be single, you better stay single. Don't get married. If God calls you to exercise your gift, you better start doing that. Do what God says.

Now, as a believer, God's not going to abandon you and turn you away and say, okay, you're on your own. You're done. Get out of here. Goodbye. No, that's not going to ban you as a believer. Go stay with them. But you know what? You'll wonder where he is at every time. It will be there. but your fellowship with him is going to be mine. So you've got to make sure you walk with him, you stay with him, and your Christian life will go nowhere until you say yes to God about everything. Not yes on something, but yes to God about everything.

The severity of God's warnings. You need to know that. Number two, not only do they display the severity of God's warning, they demonstrate the sympathy towards your weaknesses.

The parables are going to demonstrate God's sympathy towards your witnesses. This is so good. The parables show that Jesus was deeply related to humanity. He drew pictures to the life of men, women, children, relationships, possessions, man's desires. He talks about the clergy. He talks about the rich. He talks about the poor, the intelligent, the shepherd, the merchant. And no matter what you're facing, no matter what you're going through, God has a parable for you. no matter where you're at in life God's got a word for you through a story that's going to tell concerning you because he's a high priest who sympathizes with your weaknesses.

He knows exactly where you're at. He knows exactly what you need and he knows how to meet that need. That's our God. Do you need to forgive and be forgiven? He's got a peril. Matthew chapter 18. He's going to talk to you about that. Do you need to know about mercy? Do you need to be demonstrating mercy to people? He's got a parable for you. It's called the Good Samaritan, Luke 10th. You have a rebellious child? When it runs away? One of the one said nothing to do with you or your family. God's got a parable for you.

Luke chapter 15. You have a problem sharing your faith? God's got a parable for you. You've got a story to tell. about what it means to share your faith and the result of what it means to do what he says. You got a problem with prayer? We've got a couple of parables for you. A couple of stories about prayer. Show you what it means to trust him and believe in and follow him. You got a problem with commitment? God's got a story for you about commitment and what it means to serve him with your whole heart.

These will demonstrate to us his sympathy. about our weaknesses because God's concerned about you. So it's his child. He's going to show you exactly what you do. And last year, they disclose. They will ultimately disclose our deep satisfaction with his wonderful work. They will ultimately disclose our deep satisfaction with his wonderful work. we Gentiles have so much to be thankful. On the human level, we receive an opportunity because the Jewish nation ruled. And you know what? We need to be faith.

Over in the Book of Acts chapter 28, it says this in the 28th verse. It says, The Holy Spirit rightly spoke to Isaiah, the prophet to your father, saying, go to this people and say, you will keep on hearing but will not understand and you will keep on seeing but will not proceed. For the heart of this people has become dull with their ears, they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, understand with their heart and return, and I should heal them.

Same quotation as in Matthew 13 of Isaiah, chapter 6, verses 9 and 10. And then it says, verse number 28, let it be known to you, therefore, that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles. They will also listen.

Because you refuse to listen. The gospel came to the Gentiles. It says over in Acts 13, verse number 47, for thus the Lord has commanded us, Paul speaking, I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the end of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life, believe. Oh, man, we got the good news. We Gentiles. We pagans. We got the good news coming to us.

And they began to rejoice and be excited. And, my friend, that is where the deep satisfaction lies for you, me that Jesus would save our souls that Jesus would do a miraculous work and this was not a plan that just came about because the Jews rejected the Messiah no way back in Matthew chapter 13 verse number 35 it says this all these things Jesus spoke to the multitudes and parables at verse number 34 he did not speak to them without a parable so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled saying, I will open my mouth in parables.

I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world. This was always a plan. You know what? It should cause us to fall to our knees and praise our God and rejoice that we have received the plan of salvation and we can be a part of its kingdom. Father, we thank you, Lord, for this evening. And the greatness of your word, thank you Lord so much for the truth that's presented we never really fully understand all that you do how you do it and why you do it but it's not our place to question the creator we are the created we have been made by you you're in charge and therefore our responsibility Lord is to praise you and thank you for the life you give it.

Tonight, Lord, as we pray and commit our time to you, we ask that you would take the hearts of every person in this room this evening. If there be one that does not know you, may they understand that today is the day of salvation. They should not harden their hearts. They should not turn away from the truth. But today should be the day, for no one knows that time you will abandon them. And they'll be left with their own sinful, stubborn desires. And for those who have responded, we thank you. And we pray that our hearts will be touched by a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses.

And can tell a story so clearly about our condition and our responsibility that we should follow. And may we always be people who rejoice at the greatness of salvation that's come to us, the Gentile people. In Jesus' name. Amen. I'm