Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19960818.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part X. Christ's Messianic Kingdom Postponed
A. Getting Oriented To Be Spiritually Productive Amid Current Ecclesiastical Complexities
(Matthew 13:1-52)
  1. Introduction
    1. The Christian today lives in a complex and often confusing ecclesiastical environment: there are many divisions and differing belief systems in Christendom with widely differing goals.
    2. He may wonder what is going on and how he can become truly spiritually productive in this environment.
    3. When Jesus postponed the Messianic Kingdom, He announced God's change of plans in parable form so that His disciples could understand how they could blossom in this complex ecclesiastical era.
  2. Getting Oriented To Be Spiritually Productive Amid Current Ecclesiastical Complexities.
    1. Matthew 13:1-3a fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 11:11 in which Messiah's few, close disciples would recognize the very day in which He began to withdraw His offer of the Kingdom from apostate Israel!
    2. Upon that Kingdom withdrawal for Israel's apostacy, Jesus gave parables for his followers to understand that clarified what changes would occur in the Church era, and how individuals could blossom in it:
      1. Jesus gave these parables in Matthew 13 for only close followers to understand, Mtt. 13:10-11.
      2. This move was intended to judge those who had not believed in Jesus while ministering to bless those who had trusted in Him with additional edifying insight, Mtt. 13:12 with 13:13-17.
    3. Note: Jesus explains for us the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, cf. Mtt. 13:18-23 and 13:34-43 respectively. Using these explanations, we understand all of Mtt. 13 as follows:
      1. Factor One - Since Messiah was rejected by the majority when He first came, God would move to bless individuals to the degree they had accepted His Word, Parable of the Sower, Mtt. 13:3-9,10-23.
        1. The Parable of the Sower describes a variety of soils with a variety of crop yields, Mtt. 13:3-9.
        2. Jesus explained this parable for us: (a) the various soils represent various reactions by men to Messiah's words, and that due to differing causes of submission to the devil's values and thoughts (v. 19), to persecution or tribulation for adhering to God's Word (v. 20-21) a nd worldliness (v. 22). (b) Those who receive Messiah's Word produce spiritual fruit depending upon their individual degrees of victory over the devil, persecution and the world, Mtt. 13:23.
      2. Factor Two - Christ also explained the Parable of the Wheat and Tares for us in Mtt. 13:34-43: Satan would seek to counter the spiritual development of God's individuals by covertly infiltrating Christendom with unsaved individuals. God will choose not to respond quickly to this challenge lest it upset the discipleship of new believers who are dependent upon Christendom's institutions and would thus be harmed by Christendom's massive overhaul; instead, He would disciple them individually on location and separate the ungodly from them in the final judgment, Par. of Wheat & Tares, 13:24-30.
      3. Factor Three - Thus, Christendom's institutions would be allowed by Satan to become very expansive (Par. of the Mustard Seed, v. 31-32) so that Christendom could become massively evil, Mtt. 13:33.
      4. Factor Four - Thus however, God's program with individual discipleship would continue amidst this effort of wickedness: (a) Christ would redeem Israel and supply latter era salvation for national Israel (Parable of the Hidden Treasure, Mtt. 13:44) while (b) saving individuals for the Church from Jewish and Gentile origins out of the world's slave market of sin, Mtt. 13:45-46!
      5. Factor Five - Thus, in the end, God would judge individuals on their individual relationship to Christ, finally separating the ungodly from the saved in the final judgment, Parable of Dragnet Mtt. 13:4 7-50.
      6. Factor Six - Thus, believers should couple this Mtt. 13 input with Old Testament prophecies to know how to live in this era, and instruct other maturing believers, Par. of Householder, Mtt. 13:51-52.
Lesson: God wants us to be aware that (1) Christendom's INSTITUTIONS are not automatically blessed by Him, for SATAN is seeking to ruin individual discipleship by infiltrating, corrupting and then expanding those institutions so as to mislead indiv iduals by influential, corporate evil to depart from God! (2) That's why Christendom's institutions are often in trouble. (3) We should thus focus on PERSONAL discipleship rather than organizational growth, for GOD works on THAT plane. (4) Also, we ne ed to let other confused believers in on this arrangement for their edifying spiritual growth!