VLOG: Matthew 14:1-12

READ MATTHEW 14:1-12!

 

This is my second VLOG.  It is about 11 minutes long, which I realize is quite a bit longer than the first, but I had SO MUCH that I wanted to cover about John the Baptist!  If you cannot view this video from here, follow the link below to YouTube!
http://youtu.be/bbLluiYVn_k

 

 

 



Matthew 13:53-58

We are at the end of Matthew 13 already.  The time just flew by!  I am trying to shorten my posts back to a better length.  We have a few more verses left to cover today.  Next week, we have a couple of guest writers which I am really excited about.  Monday, I will be posting our next VLOG!  ☺

 

Read MATTHEW 13:53-58!

 

Have you ever heard the saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt"?  The people Jesus had grown up with, the people who were familiar with him, were unwilling to embrace his wisdom.  They expected the Messiah to come in a much grander way and were so close to Him they could've touched him.  These people were right in front  of the King of the Kingdom, but yet THEY COULDN'T SEE!   They rejected him. 

 

Two things really stand out to me about our text today.  First, this passage should be a strong warning that our unbelief can hinder or limit what the Holy Spirit will do around and through us.  Another example in the scripture showing this is Mark 6:5-6.  "Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching."  Jesus could have done so much more but their unbelief prevented him.  What a shame!

 

The other thing is found in verse 57. "So they were offended at Him."  I learned something about offense that will never leave me for as long as I live.  I was taught that OFFENSE is a snare (a trap) of the devil!  You better believe he likes to trip us up!  The enemy trapped these questioning people by doubt, anger, and a bit of pride.  (Can't you hear them saying, "How did Jesus get all that wisdom or ability to perform that miracle?  He's just a carpenter's son the same as me. Psh!  Who does he think he is anyway?") 

 

Monday will be the beginning of Matthew 14.  We are going to find John the Baptist in an unpleasant situation.  All I can say is that he might lose his head.  I'll see you then, friends!

 

 Don't forget to share this! 



Matthew 13:44-52

Read MATTHEW 13:44-52!

 

Welcome back, friends! We have another 3 parables to cover today!  Are you enjoying this as much as me?  Do you have your Bible, pen, journal, and a cup of something nice and warm to sip on?  Great...let's get started!

Verse 44 brings us to our first parable today, The Hidden Treasure.  In verses 45-46 you'll find the second, The Pearl of Great Price.  Because they are so similar, we're going to look at both at the same time.

A treasure is something you are glad to find!  What did Jesus say about treasure?  We find the answer in Matthew 6:19-21.  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  The treasure in the parable is hidden in the field.  We have already learned that the field is the world.

In the parable, the treasure is people - lost souls.  The man in the parable is Jesus.  Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost!  He found a treasure (us when we were lost, others who are still lost), and loved it so much that he considered us extremely valuable (like the pearl). He then gave up all he had (His life) to pay the full price for the field/pearl (us!)

Let's think of some of the pearls that Jesus saw as great value and purchased.
-The Woman at the Well
-Unlearned fisherman who wanted to follow him
-The woman taken in adultery
-A Tax Collector
-Children in the temple crying "Hosanna!"
-The multitude that moved Him to compassion

Can you think of some more examples that I missed?

These people seemed like trash to the world, but were beautiful treasures to Jesus!   So much so that he sold all he had just for them! AMAZING GRACE, how sweet the sound!

And the last parable of Matthew 13 is The Parable of the Dragnet.  A dragnet is a huge, weighted net that drags along the bottom of a body of water to collect fish.  Think about who these people were that were listening to Jesus teach.  They knew about fishing and nets!  I love that Jesus uses things that we can understand and relate to explain the deep truths of the Gospel!  Don't ever doubt that the Holy Spirit will use things you are familiar with to speak words into your life!

This parable is similar to the Parable of the Wheat and Tares.  Both parables concern an end-times sorting, aided by angels, when believers will be separated from unbelievers once and for all.  Just as the net was cast into the sea drawing many fish, the gospel message is spread into the world, drawing many people to it.  Just like the net gathered all types of fish, the Gospel draws in many people who don't repent or desire to follow Christ right along with those who will.  Just like the fish could not be sorted until the net was pulled onto the shore, false believers will masquerade as true Christians and will not be made known until the end of the age.

A day will come when like the tares and wheat and the good fish and the bad fish, true believers and unbelievers WILL BE SEPARATED.  This should be extremely sobering to us and cause us to pray even more fervently for lost souls! 

TIME OF REFLECTION
Did you think of other biblical examples of people who the world might see as worthless, but Christ saw as treasure?  Record them in your journal!




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Matthew 13:23-43

Read Matthew 13:23-43!

 

We are going to cover 3 parables today so grab some coffee and get comfortable!

 

First, we're going to study The Parable of the Wheat and Tares in verses 24-30.  Let's cover some important details.  According to verse 37-38, the field is the world and belongs to Jesus.  Another thing we need to understand is that tares were very common in Palestine and closely resembled wheat.  The catch is that you can't distinguish between wheat and tares until the grain appears at harvest time.  This parable was not just talking about the Jews.  It is referring to the Church.  Now that we have a foundation, let's break it down!

 

There are two sowers (one who scatters seed for the purpose of growth)...Jesus and Satan.  Jesus sows good seed-grace, mercy, forgiveness, life and deliverance.  This seed results in redeemed, saved people-The Children of the Kingdom. (vs.38)  Satan sows the tares-sin, evil, selfishness, darkness.  We can say that the tares represent the unsaved, unredeemed. 

 

Satan sows the tare which is identical to wheat.  He put them right in the middle of wheat.  If the field in this parable is the whole world, that tells me tares are also in the church.

 

The servants asked if they should go and gather the tares up, and the owner said no because it would destroy the wheat.  Many battles have been fought in religious zeal to take Jerusalem. and gather or clean out the tares (anyone not a Christian).  The Crusades are an example.  They were started so Christians could take Palestine from the Muslims.  This was a bloody and barbaric attack by supposed Christians who slaughtered men, women, and children for the "cause of Christ."  

 

If the tares are among the wheat ,there is always a chance they might become wheat.  Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost! 

 

A Mustard Seed!

 

In verse 31-32 we find The Parable of the Mustard Seed.  When teaching about this parable, my Pastor said this, "Small beginnings make for mighty endings!"  He used a few examples.  Jesus started out with 12 disciples, grew to 70, then 500.  Peter began as a lowly fisherman and ended up preaching and 3,000 were added to the kingdom.  The mustard seed is tiny as you can see above.  When compared to the Kingdom of Heaven it has a HUGE meaning!

 

The Kingdom of God is destined for greatness!  Right now, it has not fully been manifested yet, but make no mistakes, just like the small mustard seed that grows into a large tree, God's kingdom will be known to all!

 

 

Last one-The Parable of the Leaven in verse 33.  According to the dictionary, leaven is a substance, typically yeast, that is added to dough to make it ferment and rise.  The leaven is the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,  This parable represents the growth of the Gospel...how slowly but steadily the Gospel message will grow!  The fact that the parable says "it all becomes leavened" is a symbol of complete victory and influence of Christ in this wicked world!

 

Recap of all the parables we've covered......The Sower (vs. 1-9) discusses the rejection of the Word.  The Wheat and the Tares (vs.23-30) and shows the opposition in the world against the Gospel. The Mustard Seed (vs.31-32) teaches us that the church will grow into a great tree where many things would be taught-some good and some bad.  The Parable of the Leaven (vs.33) shows the effect  and influence of the Gospel on the world. 

 

 

Time of Reflection

In verse 32, the birds of the air come to lodge in the branches of the tree.  Using your Bible concordance, cross reference, online tools, or whatever you can get your hands on, and answer this question.  WHAT DO THE BIRDS IN THIS VERSE REPRESENT?  Be ready to share these on the Facebook page!!!!!

 

 



Matthew 13:1-23

Well, it was really fun doing the video for yesterday!  I had a lot of positive comments from this trial run so I think we will try to do more of them!  As of right now, for time purposes, I am thinking perhaps once a week I will be able to post a video.  I am trying to work on future posts so that I will be ahead of the study and not have to fall behind if something should come up.  

 

I also had a lot of feedback on making videos that would teach children (or adults!) longer scripture passages using motions.  My goal is to have one posted by Saturday.  I will create a new tab at the top of the home page that will say Scripture Videos.  You will have to go there to find them.  I will let everyone know when I post a new video via a Facebook post! 

 

The posts that I have prepared for the next few days might be a little longer than the previous posts because I am using notes from a study my Pastor did on The Parables to guide us in the study.  I want to do this justice so please don't let the length deter you from studying along!  We will be back to shorter lessons Friday! 

 

Read Matthew 13:1-23!!!!

 

There are 7 parables in Matthew 13.  First off, we need to know what a parable is to understand the whole reason Jesus taught them!  The word parable comes from the Greek word parabole.  'Para'  means to come along side and compare, and 'bole' means to throw with or see with.  Jesus used parables to compare things to help others see a principle or instruction.  (Just as a side note, after reading the parables in Matthew 13, I am even more convinced that God loves creativity!)  : )

 

Jesus' disciples even wondered why he spoke in parables. (vs.10)  I'm not a Bible scholar, but I believe in verses 10-17, his answer was pretty clear.  He taught in parables to make the truth clearer and easy to remember for those who truly heard it and to make his purposes less evident for those seeking knowledge for knowledge's sake or religion's sake.  I think we forget what a gift we have to be able to understand Jesus' teachings!  We need to remember that as heart-wrenching as it is, everyone does not receive this gift as we will learn from the Parable of the Sower! 

 

Get a picture in your mind here!  Jesus is teaching to a multitude on a sea-side, not a fancy mega-church with all the latest technology.  His pulpit was a ship.  He had one purpose and that was to make the  simple truths of the Kingdom of God clear to those who would hear!  He didn't use Powerpoint or creative videos to drive the point home...He used something much more simple - Parables!  While studying Matthew 13, it was evident to me that we need to pray for ears to hear what Jesus says and for understanding given by the Holy Spirit.  Please know that I have been fervently praying this for everyone who is studying The Word with me and for myself! 

 

In a study done by my Pastor, Bro. Shannon Kilpatrick, parables can be broken down into 4 categories: Relations, Progress, Preciousness, and Separation.  The first Parable that we read is 'The Parable of the Sower' in verses 1-9.  It falls under the category of Relations because the principle given is the reception of the Word of the Kingdom and how it relates to each to each of us in the Kingdom.

 

The sower is ANYONE who is declaring the Word of God, and The Sower is sowing the TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL!  The place the seed lands is the ears and heart of the hearer.

 

There are 4 places the seed can land.  What happens to the seed?  How does the hearer respond?

 

WHEN THE SEED FALLS...................

a.) By the wayside (Matt.13:19)

 - They hear, but they don't HEAR!  They do not understand and have no desire to.  The enemy snatches that seed away.

 

b.) In the stony places (Matt.13:20-21)

-They receive it with joy, but have no roots.  They endure for a while until tribulation and persecution comes. (And it will!) They become offended and they fall.

 

c.) Among thorns (Matt.13:22)

-The hear, understand, and soil is good for growing!  BUT the cares and ways of the world and deceitfulness of riches chokes The Word and growth stops.  These hearers become unproductive in the Kingdom.

 

d.) Good ground (Matt.13:23)

-This ground produces conviction and these hearers are WILLING to repent.  They want to understand because they desire to know the Truths of the Kingdom!   

 

 

Time of Reflection

 Read Isaiah 5:1-7!  Parables were even used by prophets!  In your journal, compare the similarity between this text and Matthew 13:1-9.  God's Word is so incredible!