Gtcotr/ss073023
Wedged in between the parable of the seeds which fellon four types of soil, and the explanation Jesus gaveHis disciples, is the truth which governs our life. If you are a follower of Jesus, you will recognize this truth.
Matthew 13 NLT
16 “Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.”
The difference between the Disciples and the Pharisees; between the disciples and the Roman citizens of Jerusalem; between the disciples and those who looked to the secular or religious rituals for answers … is that the Disciples were followers of Jesus. And as such were blessed to see and hear things a little differently than others who were not following Jesus.
By following, I mean Consciously Committed to Christ.
They were called Disciples of Jesus because they followed the teachings of Jesus. The Disciples believed His words and imitated His ways. They wanted nothing more than to be just like Him.
Jesus said in John 8:31 & 32: “If you continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed; you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
Free from what? Free from the deception and the destruction of this world.
The deception began in the Garden of Eden. When tempted by the devil, Eve became confused about the issues. She thought life was all about her. She felt limited and lied to. Eve did not choose to follow the Word of God.
That serpent deceived her by appealing to her selfish human nature. She imagined what she did only affected her.
Eve was wrong! She wasn’t evil. She wasn’t a bad person. But she did a bad thing. Eve was the perfect chosen daughter of God, but Eve was wrong. And so was Adam who was more committed to her than to God.
If you listen to the wrong voice, you will make the wrong choice.
Of course the opposite is true as well. And Jesus said:
Matthew 13: 9 “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
When we listen, our perspective changes. When we listen to Jesus, we begin to understand the truth. When a person commits their life to Jesus they receive a new nature and they begin to see like He sees.
Matthew 13
10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.”
People who do not have a committed relationship with Jesus do not understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. (1 Corinthians 2:14) The best we can hope for is that they will understand parallel truths of God from observing the things around them.
The laws of nature, the laws of physics, life, death, farming, fishing, birds, beauty, loss and gain … all contain truth and all of them were subjects used by Jesus in parables in His attempts to help people see what He sees.
But, when a person accepts Jesus as Savior andbecomes a disciple of Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live with them in this life.
They begin to see the truth.
Their eyes begin to clear, and are not clouded by deception any longer.
They see spiritual meaning in what is happening all around them.
Their eyes are opened, and they are no longer blinded by the world and all it offers.
You hear a different voice. It’s the voice of the Holy Spirit living in your heart.
The Holy Spirit fights for you, offering you conscious and unconscious support from the Word of God day and night.
You are no longer alone in the battle of the mind. You listen with a different ear.
Matthew 13
12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.
13 That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
Rather than the condemnation offered by the devil and this world, the Holy Spirit brings conviction to the heart and invades the mind offering His counsel in agreement with the Word, the Will, and the Way of God.
We are turned in our quiet times to face our convictions.
Peace comes when we surrender our will to Him.
Brokenness and repentance are healing agents offered to the followers of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. These heal the heart and cleanse the mind as we are restored to right relationship with the Father.
Peter experienced this after denying Jesus at the judgment, only to hear the Master say, “feed My sheep.” (John 21)
Seeing, hearing and understanding are all predicated on a decision. People all over the world this morning are making decisions to commit their lives to Jesus and follow Him. And yet people sitting right beside them don’t have their eyes, their ears, or their hearts open today. They will go away from the presence of God unchecked, unchallenged, and unchanged.
However, those who open their hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit right now will hear that still small voice encouraging you to simply follow Jesus. This voice will never leave you and never lead you astray. You will always be able to confirm the truth He tells you in the Word of God.
Don’t be afraid to call on Jesus. He wants to bless you and be your friend.
Matthew 13:17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
Open you heart. Invite the Holy Spirit to come and live inside of you. Ask Jesus to become your Lord and Savior and to open your eyes to see, you ears to hear, and your heart to understand the truth that is all around you.
You have the opportunity to be the most blessed generation ever to live on the earth. Blessed because you are consciously committed to Christ and have been privileged to see, hear, and understand God’s plan.
If you know how to pray, pray with me now. If you have never prayed and don’t know what to say, pray this prayer and use it every day. God will hear you and He will help you.
Dear God, Open my eyes to see you in the things around me, and open my ears to hear your voice. Help me to understand the truth and to feel your peace in my life. Forgive me of my sins and lead me by your Holy Spirit. Teach me how to be a committed follower of Jesus. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed that prayer, you have taken a big step towards the perfect will of God for your life. God will send angels on assignment to guide you in the right path. Your part is to talk to God, read the Bible, and attend Church. God will do the rest.
