Matthew 13:1-9

On that day Jesus had gone out of the house and was sitting by the sea. ² And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

³ And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; ⁴ and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. ⁸ But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. ⁹ The one who has ears, let him hear.”

 

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9

Sermon Title: One Thing. It’s about One Thing

Peace Lutheran Church

7/12/2026

 

Introduction –

 

*Show a soccer ball.  Mercy!  I don’t know if you watched it or not, but the U.S. men’s soccer team stunk up the place at the World Cup in Seattle.

Nothing against Belgium because they’re a tough team, but yikes, like a wounded dog, the U.S. was licking their wounds after that debacle.

(Why am I holding this ball?)

One thing…it’s about one thing.

 

A quick of change of scenery up here. 

How many experienced gardeners do we have in God’s house this morning? 

Great! I have a shovel here and some dirt. (**Show both.)

(***Now I want to put all my show-in-tell items together.)

While these tools are clearly different, what do they have in common?

To accomplish the one task they were given.

 

Let’s start with the ball.

You remove it—there’s no such thing as a World Cup.

It’s about one thing.

“Are you listening?” Jesus asked from the shores of Galilee.

Still to this day as we gather in His presence—Peace Lutheran—”Are you listening?”

 

You remove the shovel—there’s no digging, no planting.

No rocks and weeds are coming out of the ground either—so what good soil do you have?

Thistles, dandelions, knapweed (that stuff is nasty) choke out the good stuff.

Living in Belgrade we know a thing or two about rocky turf, don’t we? 

You can try planting something, but if you don’t remove the big, heavy rocks, the roots can’t go very far. 

It’s supposed to get up into the triple digits today…110 degrees in Billings!

“No thank you!” the little growth says in that scorching heat!

 

But here’s where the rubber meets the road.

What haven’t I mentioned yet? 

Yes!  (****Show a packet of seeds…anyone growing cucumbers?)

Seeds!  Without the seed, there’s no such thing as produce of 30, 60, 100 times what was originally sown. 

 

Now, I want you to imagine something for me. 

Are you ready?  *Think about the illustration of the birds in this parable. (*I love birds, but think about them in the context of Jesus’ sermon), what’s the one thing those pesky, feathered, little creatures are after?

 

Yes!  The SEED!  No ball, no shovel, no dirt, no seed—you take away the one thing—it’s about one thing—the World Cup, the garden, the rich produce doesn’t exist. 

Let’s talk about the produce for a moment.  In and of itself the produce is not smart enough, strong enough, tough enough, good enough to live and last.

Left by itself—it’s powerless. 

Do you see where Jesus was going with this sermon?

 

It’s just as effective, relevant today than when he preached it 2,000+ years ago!

In and of ourselves, we are powerless to remove our sins, to believe and achieve what only God in Jesus Christ—God’s Living Word—produces.

Are we listening?

Truly listening?

 

Preaching in Peter’s boat—what a pulpit!—just off the shores of Galilee—about the Seed—Heaven’s Living Word—Jesus’ forgiveness and faith creates—even multiplies God’s kingdom harvest in you—taking the rocky, thorny debris (i.e. sin, death, shame, etc.) on His back on the cross where He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead. 

 

Yes!  The Seed–God’s Living Word–believed/accomplished God’s righteousness in you to ensure that you have the one thing…it’s about the one thing that truly nourishes your forgiven, Holy Spirit-filled heart—God’s good soil—for all eternity. 

 

Folks, don’t be deceived by the Enemy, your old sinful natures—acting like you’re missing out on the vanities of the world that want to choke out what you already have on the inside—the Living Word of God—quadruples God’s kingdom harvest in your life. 

Amazingly, God gave us five senses–sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste– “Taste and see that the Lord,” the Seed of God’s kingdom of heaven–is truly good,” the Psalmist sings, loving God’s kingdom harvest.

Is that the song the Lord put in your heart?

 

[Speaking of tasting what the Lord produces, I’m reminded of a fun, family story I read earlier this week.  It made me chuckle, but it relates to Jesus’ sermon too.  

Four-year-old Jason was visiting his grandparents.  Grandpa was in his study—his nose deep in a good book.  Jason walked in carrying a peach, said something that his Grandpa missed, and handed him the peach.

Assuming his wife had sent him a snack, Grandpa took the luscious-looking fruit and ate it.  Just as he swallowed the last bite, Jason, with lip quivering, said, “But, Pap, I didn’t want you to eat the peach. I just wanted you to get the worm out

(Edward K. Rowell & Leadership Journal, 1001 Quotes, Illustrations & Humorous Stories for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Baker Books: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1996, 1997), 435. From a sermon by Eric Lenhart, Seeds in the Good Soil, 8/13/2010).”]

 

Folks, in the same way, the poisonous, deadly worms the Enemy hides inside each lie to you—regardless of how pleasing it looks outwardly—Satan wants to steal the one thing that truly matters in you: The eternal Seed, God’s faith and forgiveness through Jesus whose kingdom fruit–truly lasts!  

 

I love the way Eugene Peterson describes today’s sermon that Jesus’ preached in the Message Paraphrase.  I encourage you to read today’s gospel reading in the Message.  

Specifically, in verse 9,“Some (seed) fell on good earth and produced a harvest beyond the farmer’s wildest dreams.

Are you listening to this?

Really listening?”

What a bold prayer to pray! “Lord, produce in my heart your kingdom harvest, something beyond my wildest dreams.”

 

Brothers and sisters–the Lord’s kingdom harvest only happens through the Living Word of God—the Seed of Heaven—Jesus Christ.  Produce alone decays—BUT Jesus Christ—crucified, buried, and raised from the dead—never decays.  He fulfilled what was absolutely necessary to produce the Father’s Kingdom Harvest in you. 

This isn’t my opinion…this is the Living Word that Jesus preached: “The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy,” John 10:10, “But I have come to give life and to give it abundantly.”

 

 

Yes!  It’s about one thing … that Satan wants to take from you … to make you believe that the Lord’s living faith in you—Jesus Christ—isn’t enough.

Here’s the amazing thing!

Are you ready for this?

 

Even when we’re weak, even when we don’t have the strength to believe—when the Enemy spits his lies at you–God’s Living Word always delivers you.  You can count on Jesus, just as the Savior promised, “But I have come to give life and to give it abundantly,” … “My grace is sufficient for you.” Even a tiny mustard seed of the Lord’s faith, Jesus promised, is sufficient, removes the “Mount Everest-like fear, doubt, shame” in here (point to your head and heart). 

 

In a moment we’re going to sing the familiar hymn:

Lord, let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your word.

What’s His Holy Spirit saying to you right now?

 

Don’t cling to the thorns and stones—sins, vanities of this fallen world that want to choke out the good soil.

Don’t fake it, acting like the thorns and stones are no big deal.

Don’t live in denial either…that you have the power to remove them.  Jesus already knows about them.  Christ alone removes them!

 

He already took our sins/false promises upon Himself on a criminal’s cross, died, and rose again so that—through His forgiveness and faith—your heart and mind are like the good soil, producing a harvest beyond your wildest dreams.

Do you need Jesus’ kingdom harvest in your life right now?  What about your neighbor? 

 

We’re going to close in prayer.

I want to ask you to bow your heads and close your eyes.

Imagine a rich harvest field–ready to gather the abundant produce.   

Can you see, touch, hear, smell, and taste it?

 

Let’s pray.

Lord, let our hearts be good soil—open to your Word, the seed of God’s enduring faith in Jesus Christ.

Give us a hunger, Holy Spirit, about the One Thing that truly matters—your saving faith in God’s eternal Word of Life–Jesus Christ. 

While the world is waiting to squeeze us into its mold and to choke out time devoted to You—Holy Spirit—open our hearts to what King Jesus accomplished on the cross, in the grave, and in the empty tomb–Your kingdom harvest in our lives–now and forever–in Jesus’ name, Amen.