The Parable of the Weeds

Intro

Recap previous teaching

Parable of the Sower

Re-visit overall topic or series

Teaching through parables of Jesus

Intro of today’s message

Immediately following the parable of the sower, Jesus teaches another parable using a sower, seeds, fields, crops… but this time to teach a very different lesson

Main Topic (Text or Idea)

Scripture basis

Matthew 13:24–30 ESV

He put another parable before 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 weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

Movement 1 - Re-tell the story

Characters

Jesus explains the parable in Matt 13:36-43

Sower - Christ

Field - the world

Seeds

Good seed are the people of the kingdom

Bad seeds are those influenced by the devil

Enemy - devil

Harvest - end of age; final judgement

Reapers - angels who will ‘gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnance’

Key definitions

Context - history/background

Plot points

Key events or ideas

The issue of evil

Arguments that God is the author of evil

One of the biggest issues to deal with

There are x main issues when dealing with unbelievers

Does God exist?

Reliability of the Bible

What happens when we die?

Morality

Within that, the issue of evil

If God creates everything and controls everything; why evil?

Thats oversimplification than what we find in Scripture

God allows for things, even when from our perspective it doesn’t make sense

Opinions

Original sin - choice/free will

Calvanist vs. Armenism

Other argument is - if God all powerful, why not snap His fingers (like Thanos) and get rid of all evil?

Why let evil exist?

Parable explains why - its actually to save those who are His....

Its out of mercy for those who seek redemption

And He will get rid of all evil; its coming

Tangent topic?

Tangent topic Chunk?

Seam / Transition

Movement 2 - Application

Idea or text in our modern culture

Parable in reality

1. Reality of evil

Evil exists alongside good in this world, fact of living

Not God’s doing; but God allows for it

2. Reality of patience - God’s timing

We want it to happen, but part of God’s plan and wisdom

Both have time to grow, to mature into where their nature is revealed

3. Reality of justice

Ultimate justice will be served

Master of the field didn’t want to root out the good seed, but waited until the weeds revealed themselves

4. Reality of difference - being the wheat and not the weeds

Be the good harvest

Bear good fruit

Seam / Transition

Movement 3 - Conclusion

Summary

Practicality

Insight Chunk

Call to action

Pray to close