Sermon Central
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"Mysteries Of The Kingdom” Series
Contributed by John Mccaherty on Nov 19, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: Part two of a series of messages on the 7 parables of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. (power points available by email)
“Mysteries of the Kingdom”
Part 2
Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘sir, did you not sow good seen in your field? How then does it have tares?’
Text Cont.
And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘do you want us then, to go and gather them up?’ But he said ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “first gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Break-down the Parable Vs. 37-43
Sower is the Son of God
Field is the World
Good Seed are the children of God
Enemy is the devil
Tares “those who look the part but are not His”
Harvest is the end of the age
Reapers are the angels
The “real” question
At the end of the age, do you want to be the wheat or the tare?
Wheat will be gathered in and as in vs. 43 will “Shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father.”
Tares according to Jesus’ own words in Vs. 41-42 will be gathered up out of His kingdom and thrown into the fire.
What’s it take to be wheat?
Wheat was the product that was originally planted in the field. It is what the landowner wanted. It produced the desired result.
If Christians are to produce the desired results of what we are placed here for what are we to do?
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth”
“Are you worth your salt”
Salt is a preservative
Salt creates thirst
Salt cleanses
We are to preserve, preserve what?
Our Values, Core Beliefs, Morality.
We are to be thirsty, for what?
The will of God
The word of God
We are to cleanses, cleanses how?
“You are the light of the world”
vs. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your father in heaven.
You cleanses by shining your light in the world.
The world is a dirty place, full of sin and immorality.
Our responsibility is to be the ones that stand up and speak the truth, no matter what the world thinks.
Our duty is to stand in the gap for those that are lost and don’t know what is right, someone HAS to shine the light in this world.
IF Christians aren’t going to decide what’s right who will?
Tares!
Tares are planted with the wheat, but they don’t produce with the wheat.
Many today attend “church” but aren’t really a part of the “CHURCH”
Not committed to Christ or the kingdom
In fact not committed to much at all
Tares look at the world and think “that’s someone else’s job”
Tares look at things like
Abortion, Family, Homosexuality, 10 Commandments, “in God we trust”, Judicial tyranny and don’t want to make waves
In fact Jesus say’s
Matthew 7:21 “not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father who in heaven will enter.”
Matthew 13:30 “allow them to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “first gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up”
From Tares to Wheat
So how do the ones who are tares, turn to wheat.
In the natural world it is impossible.
But with God “All things are possible” in fact there is a place in the Bible that discusses this.
Lets look at John 3
John 3 “unless a man be born again”
Nicodemus “How can a man be born again”
How can tares become wheat?
Jesus said “truly, truly, unless a man is born of water (physical) and the spirit (spiritual) he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”
One truth is clear - The new birth is from God through the spirit.
No other way!
So which are you!
Wheat – salt and light
You know that you are a child of God
You know that God loves you
You know what being salt and light means. And your willing to do what it takes to become salt and light.
