The Mystery of the Mustard Seed and the Devil's Dirty Birds

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The Mystery of the Mustard Seed and the Devil's Dirty Birds

Matthew 13

June 19, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 13

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Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Matthew 13

In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches us secrets of the kingdom of God through seven parables. In these prophetic stories, the Lord Jesus is beginning something new. Yet the enemy has many ways to sabotage His good work.

In the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32), Jesus is the one planting seeds of faith for a godly crop.

The Godly Crop

The mustard seed is small, emphasizing the faithful few of the kingdom of God. It is simple, bypassing grandiosity and fanfare, and boils down to Jesus’ love for us. Yet it is also strong; faith like a grain of mustard seed can move mountains (see Matthew 17:20).

The secret of a seed is that it has the germ of life within it; it can reproduce itself over and over again. The seed begins to grow and becomes a shrub, which represents the growth of the Gospel in the lives of believers. It is not huge like a mighty oak, yet it bears whatever flowers, fruit, or seeds are within it. It doesn’t speak of prominence; rather, lowliness.

Another Crop

But we also see in this parable a strange shade—defying nature, the shrub develops into a tree. The spiritual meaning of this abnormality is rooted in Daniel 4. In a prophecy, Daniel typifies false religion as a monstrous tree—the final form of apostasy in the final days.

The rise of false cults that deny the Bible are likened to this tree. The same devilish birds that come and steal the seed in the Parable of the Sower, come and lodge in the branches of apostasy.

Adrian Rogers says, “Satan is not against religion; he uses religion to accomplish his purpose.”

The birds in the branches of apostasy are not easily spotted, because the devil is a master of deception and camouflage.

We can identify these birds by their messages, using five tests. As you evaluate the messages you hear, use these five tests:

1. Source Test: Is the Bible the basis of his teaching?

2. Savior Test: Does he believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?

3. Subject Test: Is the primary focus of his teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

4. Salvation Test: Does he teach salvation by grace alone?

5. Sanctification Test: Does he teach and endeavor to live a holy life?

Apply it to your life

Are you on the lookout to identify the dirty birds who rest on the branches of false religion? Remember these five tests, and be careful regarding who you listen to.

The Strange Mystery of the Sneaky Housewife

June 21, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 13:33

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 13:33 The Parable of the Unleavened Bread is one of Jesus’ most misunderstood parables; if we read it incorrectly, we may find ourselves discouraged by it. This parable does not teach that the Gospel will permeate the whole world; in fact, Christians are considered a faithful few. Adrian Rogers says, “The Gospel was never given to save civilization from wreckage, the Gospel is given to save Man from the wreckage of civilization.” Rather, this parable warns us about the devil’s deception in the Last Days, and what we can do to protect the true Bride of Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 13:33, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” The mention of three measures of meal takes us back to the Old Testament, in the days of Abraham and Sarah (see Genesis 18:6) and Gideon (see Judges 6:19). This custom of baking bread for guests is something that satisfies the heart and mind of God because it speaks of communion and fellowship. We, the Church, are the bread—mingled together, being brought through the fire as one loaf. Leaven works quietly, undetected—yet it causes fermentation and corruption. In the Bible, unleavened bread stands for sincerity and truth, while leavened bread speaks of malice and wickedness. Jesus compares the legalism of the Pharisees and the liberalism of the Sadducees to leaven. He also compares Herod’s love of pleasure to leaven because he valued pleasure over God. (See Mark 8:15.) We must be sure to purge the leaven out of the Church because a little bit of it leavens the whole lump. The sneaky housewife in this passage represents devilish, deliberate, deception. If the Church is the Bride of Christ, this woman represents the bride of the devil, which is the false church. She represents Satan’s work in the Last Days, infiltrating the Church with legalism, liberalism, and love of self. Understanding the parable this way, we can combat false expectations and discouragement. God, who teaches us these things, has built the true Church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Apply it to your life Are you aware of the leaven of legalism, liberalism, and love of self? Purge your own life of these things. Praise God for the true Church, and the fact that He will protect her in these last days.

The Strange Mystery of the Counterfeit Christian

June 17, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 13:24–30, Matthew 13:37–40

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 13:24-30, 37-40 Not everybody who claims to be a Christian is a genuine Christian. Hypocrisy is a confusing and bewildering thing. Through the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus shows us how He deals with counterfeits. Matthew 13:24-30 is a word of comfort, warning, and instruction for those caught in the strange mystery of the counterfeit Christian. “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared’” (Matthew 13:24-26). First, we see the sowing of the tares. The tares in the parable came from the chief counterfeiter himself, Satan. The devil wants worship and false believers. He has convinced hypocrites to follow a false Jesus and false spirit. (See 2 Corinthians 11:4.) He has false ministers to produce false brothers and proclaim a false gospel. (See 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.) We shouldn’t let hypocrites keep us from seeking true fellowship with God and with each other; counterfeits copy what is worthwhile. Adrian Rogers says, “Every false Christian that you see is a testimony to the good, the worth, and the reality of the real.” God is well aware of counterfeits; they may pass through the world with ease, but God cannot be fooled. Second, we see the growing of the tares. No matter how tempting it may be, we cannot uproot false religion; it’ll do more harm than good. God is the judge, not us. Every church must exercise discipline—not meant to root out and remove but rather to reclaim and restore. Finally, we see the knowing of the tares. The wheat and the tares will be discerned at the harvest. God tolerates the tares for the sake of the wheat; He waits until they are all ripe before He sends the reapers. He does not judge now, because it is too early. Our influence, whether for good or for evil, goes on and on after we die. God collects the evidence of our influence. Apply it to your life Adrian Rogers urges us to: 1. Make certain of your salvation. 2. If you are not saved, don’t let a counterfeit Christian keep you out of heaven. 3. If you are a counterfeit Christian, repent and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven

June 13, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 13:1

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 13:1 The Bible is a love story in many ways, but it is also a great mystery. There are hidden truths in the Bible that cannot be known by human wisdom. Jesus was the master teacher. He taught in parables—earthly stories with heavenly meanings—which are meant to both reveal and conceal. The meek, the teachable and guidable, could understand, while the scholars could not. Matthew 13:3-9 explains the parable of the sower. There are three basic components of this story: the seed, the sower, and the soil. The seed is the quick and powerful Word of God, pulsating with life and energy. The sower is Jesus—the Son of Man who sows the Word in people’s hearts. The main emphasis of the parable is on the soil, which represents the hearts of men and women. Some receive the seed, while others don’t. Yet, the Gospel does not fail; there is nothing wrong with the seed—the problem is always the soil. First, there is the soil with no reception. “And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them” (Matthew 13:4). The “wayside” is often described as stone, meaning this heart is too hardened to receive the seed, and therefore, will not understand it. There’s also the soil that receives the seed, but it does not take root. Matthew 13:5-6 describes a seed that sprouts too early in the shallow dirt and withers in the sun. This represents those who live in the realm of emotion—who are moved by spiritual things but are not truly changed. They are likely to abandon their faith the moment they face a trial. Adrian Rogers says, “Salvation is the deepest work of God; God doesn’t do the deepest work in the shallowest part.” There’s also the seed scattered among thorns that has no room to sprout. (See Matthew 3:7.) This represents those who want to add Jesus Christ onto their lives but aren’t willing to have their lives changed. They leave their rival crop undisturbed, giving Jesus no room. But thank God there is a fourth kind of soil: the one with no refusal—a heart wide open for the Word to take root. Apply it to your life Has God’s Word taken root in you? Are you scattering His Word among the soil? Don’t stop to test the soil—just scatter the seed.