Have You Understood All These Things?

In one paragraph

Pastor John worked through five of Jesus' parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13, following two weeks of groundwork laid on the parable of the soils and the wheat and tares. His central question, returned to again and again, was "how is this so?" - what does it actually mean that the kingdom of heaven works the way each parable describes? The message pressed toward a single conviction: the kingdom...

Read together

1. Mark 4:41 disciples ask 'who is this man even the wind and waves obey him' after Jesus calms the storm
2. Matthew 13:3-9 parable of the soils, seed falling on roadside, rocky places, among thorns, and good soil
3. Mark 4:26-29 parable of inexplicable growth, seed sprouting while the man sleeps, harvest coming
4. Matthew 13:24-30 parable of wheat and weeds, enemy sowing tares among wheat while men slept
5. Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable of the weeds privately to disciples, son of man sends angels at end of age
6. Matthew 13:31-32 parable of the mustard seed growing from smallest seed into a tree where birds nest
7. Mark 4:30-32 Mark's version of the mustard seed parable
8. Matthew 13:33 parable of leaven hidden in three sata of flour until all was leavened
9. Psalm 78:1-4 quoted as the prophetic source for Jesus speaking in parables, uttering hidden things from of old
10. Matthew 13:44 parable of treasure hidden in a field, man sells everything to buy the field
11. Matthew 13:45-46 parable of merchant finding one pearl of great value and selling everything to buy it
12. Matthew 13:47-50 parable of the dragnet gathering fish of every kind, angels separating wicked from righteous at end of age
13. Matthew 13:51-52 Jesus asks disciples if they understood, compares a disciple to a householder bringing out new and old treasures
14. 1 Corinthians 10:11 things that happened to Israel were written as examples for our instruction upon whom the ends of the ages have come
15. Romans 15:4 whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and encouragement of scriptures we might have hope
16. Romans 15:5-7 God of endurance grant you harmony with one another, welcome one another as Christ welcomed you for the glory of God
17. Romans 1:16 not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek
18. Romans 1:17 righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, the righteous will live by faith
19. Habakkuk 2:4 attributed as source of the quote that the righteous will live by faith
20. 1 John 1:9 if you confess your sins God is faithful and just to forgive your sins
21. Psalm 139:23-24 search me oh God know my heart test me know my anxious thoughts point out anything that offends you

Talk about it

1. The pastor talked about the parable of the soils and said that we live in one of the richest times and places in history, making us especially vulnerable to having the gospel choked out by wealth and possessions. Where do you see that pressure in your own life?
2. The parable of the wheat and weeds suggests that when the church turns its attention away from the gospel toward worldly power or other distractions, it falls asleep and the enemy gets to work. What are some things that tempt us, individually or as a church, to take our eyes off the gospel?
3. The pastor described the kingdom of heaven using the image of leaven working internally, invisibly, irresistibly, and irreversibly through contact with the people around it. Can you think of a time when you saw that kind of quiet, spreading influence in someone's life?
4. The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price both picture someone who finds something of surpassing value and gives up everything else for it. What does it actually look like in daily life to treat the kingdom of heaven that way, rather than letting other things crowd it out?
5. The pastor closed by saying that what we are asked to defend is the hope that is within us, and that people around us need to read God's grace and forgiveness in how we live. Who in your life is watching your life right now, and what do you think they are reading in it?