1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: Let us pray again. The Kingdom of Heaven is like 2 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: unto treasure hidden in a field, the which when a 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: man hath found, he hideth, and for joy therefore goeth 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: Matthew thirteen forty four. Dear God, help me to realize 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: that I have an enemy, Satan. Help me to realize 7 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: and recognize when he is planting seeds of dissension, division, 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: and chaos in the fields of purpose in my life. 9 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 1: As I acknowledge this truth, I confess that I need 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: your word to help illuminate and decipher the weeds that 11 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: Satan has planted, and the seeds that You've called me 12 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: to deposit into the soil of my future. Like precious treasure. 13 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: Your word will I keep hidden in my heart because 14 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: it is through these truths that the key to eternal 15 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: life and abundant life here on earth is realized. I 16 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: am committed to protecting your kingdom, and nothing on this 17 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: earth will make me compromise my character to give up 18 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: the treasure I found in You, Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen, 19 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To 20 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: hear the Bible Come to Life. Stay tuned for the 21 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: Bible in a Year, brought to you by Bible in 22 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: a Year dot Com Stories of the Kingdom. 23 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 2: In our last story, Jesus spoke about the four soils. 24 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: He spoke of what happens to many different hearts when 25 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: they come in contact with the Word of God. Now 26 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: we learn more from Jesus as he proclaims truths about 27 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: the greatness of God's kingdom inspired by the Gospels. 28 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 3: Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the 29 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we 30 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 3: heard the parable of the Sore, an illustration of how 31 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 3: different hearts receive and respond to the Word of God. 32 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 3: Jesus described four types of soil, from the hard, unreceptive 33 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,239 Speaker 3: ground to the good, healthy soil that produces an abundant crop. 34 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 3: Today we'll hear more about the Kingdom of God as 35 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 3: Jesus continues to teach in parables to show his followers 36 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 3: the glories of his eternal kingdom. So let's listen now 37 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 3: to God's word. 38 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 2: Jesus was walking along the shores of the sea with 39 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 2: his disciples. A large crowd trailed behind him, waiting for 40 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 2: something miraculous to happen. Jesus in the twelve spoke of 41 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 2: the Kingdom of Heaven. Ever since the Parable of the 42 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 2: Four Soils, the disciples were curious for more examples on 43 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,799 Speaker 2: the will and desires of God. So Jesus told more 44 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: stories filled with deep meaning. Jesus walked and spoke to 45 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,399 Speaker 2: the people. At the corner of his eye, he could 46 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 2: see the Pharisees trailing next to the crowd. They whispered 47 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,959 Speaker 2: amongst themselves and to the people. Jesus looked back to them, 48 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 2: and then turned to his disciples and spoke, I have 49 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 2: told you that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a 50 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 2: farmer sowing good seeds in his fields. Here is another 51 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 2: story of a farmer. A farmer goes into the field 52 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 2: with his men to sow seeds. They toil and work 53 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 2: all day, planting seeds in good fertile soil. After a 54 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,839 Speaker 2: good day's work, the farmer and his men return home 55 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: to their beds. However, when the men were sleeping, a 56 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: neighboring farmer snuck in through the cover of night. Under 57 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 2: the black cold evening, the competing farmer planted weeds among 58 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 2: the wheat seeds. Weeks later, the grains outed forth, tall 59 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 2: and mighty, yet the weeds circled them. The farmer and 60 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 2: his men looked upon their field. It was filled with 61 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 2: beautiful grain and blighted weeds. Both existed with one another. 62 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 2: He clenched his teeth and said, this is the work 63 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 2: of my enemy. His workers turned to him and said, Master, 64 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 2: do you want us to uproot the weeds. No, the 65 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 2: farmer said, if you uproot the weeds, you risk uprooting 66 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 2: the wheat as well. Let both of them grow together. 67 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: Then when we harvest, we can separate the weeds from 68 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 2: the grain. Afterwards we can burn the weeds. What does 69 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,239 Speaker 2: the story mean, the disciples asked Jesus. They were craving 70 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 2: more wisdom. It satisfied their souls. Jesus and his disciples 71 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 2: kept walking, and he explained to them its meaning, saying, 72 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 2: the farmer is the son of man. The field is 73 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: the world. He loves and pours into the good seed 74 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: of the children of God and the goodness of the Kingdom. 75 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 2: The one who sowed the weeds is the devil, and 76 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 2: his weeds are those that would seek to choke out 77 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 2: the goodness of the Kingdom of God. The disciples grew 78 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 2: worried as they heard Jesus speak. They had not considered 79 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 2: that there was an enemy seeking to choke out the 80 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 2: good work of God. Jesus sensed their worry and said, 81 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 2: the weeds in the grain were allowed to grow side 82 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 2: by side. This is the mercy of God. However, at 83 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 2: the end of the age, the weeds will be burned. 84 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 2: The disciples considered the cost of a cause that had 85 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,799 Speaker 2: an enemy. It worried them. Was it worth the battle 86 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 2: to follow Jesus, they thought. Jesus nodded to himself. He 87 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 2: wanted to remind everyone to count the cost of following him. 88 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 2: Most people gathered by the water to follow Jesus. He 89 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: stopped walking with his disciples and climbed a small hill 90 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 2: for the crowd to hear him. The Kingdom of Heaven 91 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,679 Speaker 2: is like buried treasure hidden in a vast and open field, 92 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 2: Jesus proclaimed. A man found the treasure, then covered it up. 93 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 2: He sold all he had to buy the field so 94 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 2: he could have the treasure for himself. It was nothing 95 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 2: for him to give up his belongings, since what he 96 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 2: gained was far greater than what he lost. The crowd 97 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 2: nodded an understanding Jesus continued, saying, the Kingdom of Heaven 98 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 2: is like a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. 99 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 2: When he finally found the perfect pearl, it was nothing 100 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 2: for him to sell all he had so he could 101 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 2: have the pearl of great price. Jesus looked upon the 102 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 2: sea of faces below and smiled. He raised his hand 103 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 2: to the boats on the shore and said, the Kingdom 104 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 2: of Heaven is like a net that was thrown into 105 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 2: the sea to gather fish. When it was full, men 106 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 2: drew it in and counted the fish. Some of the 107 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 2: fish were good and others were rotten. So the men 108 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 2: preserved the good fish and throw away the rotten ones. 109 00:06:57,920 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 2: So it will be at the end of the age, 110 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 2: the righteous will be preserved and the wicked will be 111 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 2: thrown away into the fiery furnace. 112 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 3: In today's passage, the disciples are listening intently as Jesus 113 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,559 Speaker 3: continues to teach them the secrets of the Kingdom of God. 114 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 3: The Kingdom of God is the reign and rule of 115 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 3: Christ in us. So he speaks in parables so that 116 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 3: those who know him can receive this truth and have 117 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 3: real understanding. Jesus told stories that his audience could relate 118 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 3: to using terms and settings that were very familiar to them. 119 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 3: Though Jesus knows the most profound and complex mysteries of 120 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 3: the universe. Jesus met them as he meets us, right 121 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 3: where we are, speaking to us in words that we 122 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 3: can comprehend, often simple, but very clear. The next parable 123 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 3: he told them was about a farmer who planted seed 124 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 3: in good soil. This is the soil that should produce 125 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,679 Speaker 3: a good crop. But while he wasn't looking, another farmer 126 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 3: scattered weeds among the seed and the good soil, and 127 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 3: so when the wheat sprang up, it grew among the weeds. 128 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 3: The servants asked the farmer if they could pull up 129 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 3: the weeds, but the farmer told them to let the 130 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 3: good and the bad grow together. At harvest time, the 131 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 3: weeds would be gathered up first and burned. Then the 132 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 3: good crop, the wheat, would be gathered and brought into 133 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 3: the barn. Jesus was telling us that there would be 134 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 3: among us agents of the enemy, the devil, that weeds 135 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 3: would crop up and choke out the word of God. 136 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 3: It was a warning to all disciples who need to 137 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 3: listen as we face opposition, and those who tried to 138 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 3: cancel out the message of the Gospel. This is all 139 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 3: a vision of a future reality when God's angels would 140 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 3: come to tear out the weeds destined for destruction. This 141 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 3: was judgment, but in the meantime there would be struggles 142 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 3: for those who accepted the word and sought to produce fruit. 143 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 3: Jesus was reminding them that there would be a cost 144 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 3: to following him, and that they should count the cost. 145 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 3: But then, as if to demonstrate that a proper accounting 146 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 3: of the cost would always prove worth the hardship for 147 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 3: the sake of God's kingdom, Jesus told two more parables, 148 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 3: one about a treasure buried in a field. The man 149 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 3: who found the treasure would gladly sell everything that he 150 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 3: had to buy the field and claim the treasure. In 151 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 3: the same way, he compared the Kingdom of God to 152 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 3: a pearl of great value. When a man found the pearl, 153 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 3: he also gave up everything to get this precious pearl. 154 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 3: The lesson was clear, No cost could ever equal the 155 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 3: greatness of God's kingdom. Any suffering or hardship pails in 156 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 3: comparison to the wonders and the glories of the Kingdom 157 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 3: of God. Counting the cost isn't a matter of deciding 158 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 3: if it's worth it to follow Jesus. It's about realizing that, 159 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 3: when we have even a basic understanding of the riches 160 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 3: of the Gospel, we will willingly give up anything and 161 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 3: everything to follow Jesus. No reserve, no retreats, no regrets. Finally, 162 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 3: Jesus drove home his point by telling a parable about 163 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 3: fishermen who pulled in their nets full of fish, some 164 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 3: good and some rotten. The good fish were kept, while 165 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 3: the rotten fish were tossed into a fire. When we 166 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 3: think about it and understand the meaning of the words 167 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 3: of Jesus, it's clear that the cost of not following 168 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 3: him is infinitely greater than any monetary cost of following Jesus. 169 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 3: Dear God, we thank you for today's scripture and the 170 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 3: stories that Jesus told in order that we might understand 171 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 3: who he is and why he came, and how we 172 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 3: can know him. Thank you for calling us into your kingdom. 173 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 3: May you rule and rain in our hearts. May we 174 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 3: be willing to pay any price, count every cost, that 175 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 3: we might follow you, because we know it is worth it. 176 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 3: In Jesus' name, Amen, thank you for listening to Today's 177 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. 178 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 3: You can download the Prey dot Com app and make 179 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 3: prayer a priority in your life, just like over twenty 180 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 3: million people have done to this date. If you enjoy 181 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 3: this podcast, share it with someone you know and love, 182 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 3: because by sharing this message of the Word of God, 183 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 3: you can make an eternal difference in someone's life. God 184 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:25,079 Speaker 3: bless you, and we look forward to joining you again 185 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:26,079 Speaker 3: the next time. 186 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare 187 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality. 188 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 4: Welcome to the previous podcast, where Hope is our only bias. 189 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 4: Each day, we'll unpack the most prominent stories happening in 190 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 4: the news and offer a Christian perspective. We won't shy 191 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 4: away from the hard topics, and we won't dilute the 192 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,959 Speaker 4: hopeful message of Christ. This is more than a daily 193 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 4: brief on the news. It's a way to be informed 194 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 4: and transformed. Listen to Prey News on the iHeartRadio app, 195 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,319 Speaker 4: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.