Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Have any of you ever experienced a time in your life where you found yourself wondering, as Elijah wondered, that you were the only one who was trying to do right?

Or maybe you found yourself in a situation and you said, “Lord where are you?

How long are you going to allow this wickedness continue?”

It’s very easy to look out amongst the world and often wonder, “why God why, isn’t it?

Why God do you allow this evil to continue?”

“How long O God will you stand by while babies are being slaughtered, while homosexuality rages, while evil abounds and spiritual wickedness in high places seems to exalt itself?”

“How long will you stand by while the innocent are beaten and murdered, while families are torn apart, while wars rage and famine flourishes?

How long O God until your righteousness reigns supreme and you take back full control of this evil world?”

It’s easy to sit at home and watch the evening news and ask yourself these questions.

Well today, I want to take just a few minutes and cover the next parable we come to here in Matthew’s gospel where we might find the answer to a few of these questions.

The parable before us today is often referred to as the wheat and the tares.

And as I began to read through these parables this last week, I couldn’t help but to feel like each one kind of builds in some way on the one before it.

A couple weeks ago, we talked about the sower, the seed, and the soil but the parable itself was more about the soil than anything.

In this parable, Jesus focuses more on the sower and the seed.

And then next week, as we continue on, we’re going to see a deeper focus on just the seed.

A couple weeks ago, we discussed the importance of making sure the soil of our heart is fertile, desiring and ready for the seed of the word of God.

This week, we’re going to see how the devil will infiltrate the fields we may be sowing in and will place people there who’s intentions are no good.

A very simple parable meant to reveal a very devious plan enacted by Satan to keep as many people out of heaven as he can and to also reveal the eternal consequences, those who are pawns in his diabolic plan, shall face!

So, if you have your Bibles turned to Matthew 13:24 would you say, Amen.

The Parsing of the Parable

I want to begin by sharing John G Butler’s breakdown of the parable and it’s similarities to the parable we studied a couple weeks ago.

John G Butler — Like the parable about the soils, this parable is also reported in two parts with other parables and statements between the parts.

The first part of the parable (Matthew 13:24–30) was given in public; the second part of the parable (Matthew 13:36–43) was given privately in a house to Christ’s disciples.

The first part gives the facts, the second part the interpretation.

The first part gives the story, the second part the application.

The first part is informational, the second part instructional.

The first part was given to a multitude; the second part was given to the few chosen disciples of Christ.

Considering the particulars of the parts as noted above, it is typical that only a few ever gain insight into the teaching of the Word of God.

Only those who are devoted to Christ and walk close to Him will learn much of the Word.

It was the inquiry of the disciples which prompted the second part of the parable account.

It certainly was commendable of the disciples to ask Christ for an explanation of His teaching.

Would that more people were desirous of understanding the Word of God better and would seek the Lord for help for a better understanding of the Word.

Now that we have a little bit better understanding of the parable itself, let’s get into the particulars of the parable.

The Particulars of the Parable

The Sower — The Son of Man — Jesus — (Vs.

24,37)

The Sphere — The field that He sows in is the world — (Vs.

24,38)

The Seed — The good seed are the children of the kingdom, Jesus says, while the tares are the children of the wicked one!

— (Vs.

24, 38)

The good seed are the Saints, the born again children of God.

I love John Phillips description of the good seed.

John Phillips — The good seed and the “wheat” (13:25) symbolize the same thing in the parable of the tares.

Wheat seems to have been designed by the Creator to illustrate the people of God in the world in this age.

Israel’s symbol is a tree—a fig tree for instance or an olive tree or a vine.

Since a tree strikes its roots deep into the earth, it is a fitting symbol for God’s earthly people Israel.

Israel’s promises and hopes are often earthly.

By deliberate contrast, the church’s symbol is wheat.

Wheat is a hardy annual with shallow roots that do not go deeply into the soil.

Wheat is not deeply anchored to this world.

Its destiny is to pass rapidly from this scene in successive harvests.

Wheat dies downward as it ripens upward; the stalk and root are dead when the grain is ripe.

Just so, the Christian believer is to die to this world as he ripens for Heaven.

There are other similarities: A ripened field of wheat is a field of bowed heads.

The grain ripens into sweetness as the sun shines down day after day, and by some mysterious process the wheat absorbs the light.

God has His wheat in the world today.

Ever since Pentecost the Lord has been sowing generation after generation of His saints into the world.

They are scattered everywhere.

They take root, flourish, and bear golden witness to the fact that God is at work.

They ripen and are garnered home to glory.

God buries His workers and carries on with His work.

Even when the kingdom’s prospects seem unpromising, even when days are dark and storm clouds gather, even when the atmosphere of the world is polluted by sin, God sees to it that His work goes on.

And then, he goes on to give an example here of how God’s work goes on and on and will continue to go on and on until the time of harvest!

Here is how God’s work goes on: Martin Luther for example read the Epistle to the Romans and his life was changed.

John Wesley read the preface Luther wrote to his commentary on Romans, and Wesley’s life was changed.

C. H. Spurgeon attended a chapel of the Primitive Methodists, a group founded by Wesley, and Spurgeon was converted.

Spurgeon in turn touched the life of a young man named Henry Morehouse.

Morehouse came to America and transformed the preaching of D. L. Moody.

C. T. Studd attended one of Moody’s meetings in Britain and was transformed.

Studd in turn made an impact on a group of college men known as “the Cambridge seven” and their influence on college campuses in Britain and on the missionfield can never be measured.

And so it goes on.

The good seed is sown as the Lord scatters His people to all parts of the world where they live for Him, reproduce, and touch other lives.

Isn’t it just amazing when you can see the plan of God unfold?

And listen, you may think this morning that you are insignificant in God’s plan of furthering His kingdom but dear friend know this…God has placed you right where you are, at this very point in eternity, for His purpose, for His honor, and for His glory!

Explain

Now that we’ve talked about the good seed for a few minutes, let’s take a minute to talk about the bad seed.

Don’t get the idea that the tares are simply those who aren’t saved.

No, these are pawns who help enact Satan’s evil plan.

Do you see any tares here becoming wheat?

No! Listen, the seeds do not change from bad to good.

No, these seeds, the tares, they have always been and will always be of their Father the devil!

In John Chapter 8, Jesus disputed with a group of Pharisees and listen to what He said to them.

In Acts 13, there was a man by the name of Bar-Jesus, who was what the Bible called a false prophet and a sorcerer.

And the Bible tells us that when Paul and Barnabas went to speak with the deputy of a certain city this false prophet tried to keep them from doing so and listen to what Paul called him.

God had sowed His seed…Paul and Barnabas…and Satan had sowed his…Bar-Jesus!

Those of us who are born again are the good seed and we each have been planted in different areas, with different crowds, but for the same purpose!

To bring honor and glory to God!

But don’t be surprised when, as you’re bearing fruit, as your sowing the seeds of the gospel, you run into a tare who is trying to tear down the witness you are trying to build up!

That’s what they’re there for!

To infiltrate, to contaminate, and to destroy the work that God is doing through you!

What does the Bible say of the devil?

He came to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus came to give life and to give it more abundantly!

When you are out there sowing the seeds of the gospel, when you are sharing the light and life of the gospel, don’t be surprised if Satan comes in right behind you, sowing tares, trying to tear that witness down!

Have you got a friend or a family member or a co-worker you’ve been trying to witness to?

And one minute, it seems as if they’re believing the gospel news you’re sharing but then you see or hear of them back hanging out with that wrong crowd or doing that same old thing you’ve been trying to draw them away from?

Guess what, that thing or that person that’s drawing them away is a tare, sown by the evil one to keep them from accepting the light and life of the gospel!

That’s how Satan works!

So, what do you do?

Don’t give up!

Keep nurturing, keep tending to that seed, give it all you got to ensure that it doesn’t get choked out by the tare and know deep down inside that God will take care of the tares in the end!

We’ve seen the Sower, the Sphere, & the seed.