The Church Age in Parable

Intro

Collection title - Key Teachings in the Message

This sermon - The Church Age in Parable

Text - Matthew 13.24-30

Matthew 13:24–30 NASB 2020

24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident. 27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 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?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

Background

Jesus taught many things about the kingdom of God through parables.

This parable belongs to a set of parables known the 7 parables of Matthew 13

Each of these 7 parables express a different side of the kingdom of heaven

This particular parable is unique because it shows many interesting things about the kingdom of heaven/God.

Most importantly, it shows us a timetable of how the kingdom of heaven will manifest on earth from beginning to end.

it begins with sowing time

it ends with harvest time

It has 4 main characters

the man/landowner who sowed the good seeds

the enemy who sowd the weeds

the servants who work with the landowner

the repears who will work at the time of harvest

The flow of the story goes like this -

a sower goes out to sow good seeds in his field

an enemy creeps it while men were asleep and sows weeds among the good seeds

the servants see the presence of the weeds and offers to remove them

the landowner disagrees and allows the weeds to grow with the wheat until the harvest

at the time of harvest the landowner will send reapers who will gather the weeds first to burn them, and then gather the wheat into the barn

Interestingly, Jesus already explained the meaning of this parable, in Matthew 13.36-43

Matthew 13:36–43 NASB 2020

36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear.

sower of the good seeds - Son of Man

field - the world

good seeds - sons of the kingdom

weeds - sons of the evil one

enemy - the devil

harvest - end of the age

reapers - angels/messengers

furnace of fire - great tribulation and wrath of God

Main Idea

the church is the kingdom of heaven on earth, and it has endured 2,000 years of struggle with evil from the evil ones that have crept in since the says of the apostles

thankfully, there is divine purpose behind it, and the God who produced His sons and daughters in the church knows how to take care of it all in the end-time.

Main points

the spiritual condition of the church

the divine plan behind the mess

the end-time works of God

#1 - The spiritual condition of the church

Reality check about Christianity

it is the most fragmented religion or belief system of all time

there is so much division - 43,000 denominations

Christianity was at the forefront of some of the most violent events in history

1. The Crusades (1095–1291) Sanctioned by the Catholic Church, a series of religious wars were launched by European Christians to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslims. These military campaigns led to the widespread slaughter of Muslims, Jews, and other communities. During the conquest of Jerusalem in 1099, tens of thousands of defenders and civilians were massacred. [1]

2. The Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864) Fiercely led by Hong Xiuquan—a Hakka Chinese convert who claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ—this movement sought to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and establish the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It is known as one of the bloodiest civil wars in human history, resulting in an estimated 20 to 30 million deaths.

3. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) A devastating conflict fought primarily in Central Europe, rooted in the religious disputes following the Protestant Reformation. It began as a religious struggle between Catholic and Protestant states within the Holy Roman Empire and escalated into a catastrophic political war, resulting in an estimated 8 million casualties from violence, famine, and disease.

4. The European Wars of Religion (16th–17th Centuries) The fracture of Western Christianity into competing doctrines sparked severe internal sectarian violence. Notable events include the French Wars of Religion, most infamously the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (1572), in which Catholic mobs and troops systematically murdered between 10,000 to 30,000 French Huguenots (Protestants) across Paris and the countryside.

5. The Spanish Inquisition and Conquista (1478–1834) Established by the Catholic Monarchs in Spain, the Spanish Inquisition used torture and execution to root out perceived heretics, enforce religious conformity, and suppress recently converted Jews and Muslims. This mindset, combined with the Doctrine of Discovery, also rationalized the violent conquest, forced conversions, and systemic eradication of indigenous populations in the Americas under the banner of spreading the Christian faith.

When did evil began to infiltrate the Christian circle

Soon after the good seeds were sown

Matthew 13:25–26 NASB 2020

25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident.

How did the infiltration happen

through false brothers - Galatians 2.4

Galatians 2:4 NASB 2020

4 Yet it was a concern because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy on our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.

through false prophets and false teachers - 2 Peter 2.1

2 Peter 2:1 NASB 2020

1 But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

through false apostles - 2 Cor 11.3

2 Corinthians 11:4 NASB 2020

4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, this you tolerate very well!

2 Corinthians 11:13–14 NASB 2020

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

#2 - the divine plan behind the mess

How did the evil ones continue to exist and multiply within Christianity

The servants were ready to pull the weeds away, but the landowner had a different plan.

he saw the danger of the good seeds being uprooted also.

the separation of good and evil within Christianity would not happen until the end-time

Matthew 13:27–30 NASB 2020

27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 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?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

God allowed the evil ones to continue doing their things - deceiving and being deceived - within Christianity

RCC grew and became powerful

denominations multiplied

Protestantism were fragmented and divided in their theologies

even within the End-time Message! - although it has a different purpose

But why did God allow this to happen?

There is the danger of the good seeds being uprroted also!

the presence of evil ones can serve a purpose in the life of God’s people

Illustration - Corrie Ten Boom and her sister were able to read the Bible to hundreds of prisoners without interference from German soldiers - thanks to bed bugs and fleas!

in the presence of evil and in difficult situations God is able to demonstrate His Sovereign authority and power

Illustration - this week our dogs at the farm were always able to sneak out, they were big ones, so the entire neighborhood have become aware the we have big dogs to guard our place!

#3 - the end-time works in the kingdom

What was God’s intention in allowing this mess to continue to this day?

Matthew 13:40–43 NASB 2020

40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear.

The end-time will be a time of separation

God will separate the weeds from the wheat!

God will send preachers whose sermons will separate the sons of the evil one from the sons of the kingdom

these are not false teachings, but solid teaching and preaching that will rebuke the evil ones of their deeds

example - John’s preaching - Matthew 3.7-10

Matthew 3:7–10 NASB 2020

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance; 9 and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10 And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

example - Jesus’ teaching - Matthew 15.12-14

Matthew 15:12–14 NASB 2020

12 Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” 13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone; they are blind guides of blind people. And if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Paul warned of this spiritual cataclysm - Heb 12:25-29

Hebrews 12:25–29 NASB 2020

25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

The end-time will be a time of pain and suffering

The “stumbling blocks and lawless ones” will be thrown into the great tribulation and the wrath of God

2 Thessalonians 1:3–10 NASB 2020

3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is only fitting, because your faith is increasing abundantly, and the love of each and every one of you toward one another grows ever greater. 4 As a result, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. 5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you indeed are suffering. 6 For after all it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed.

The end-time will be a time of rejoicing

the righteous ones will shine forth like the sun

to shine - means to manifest, to display one’s virtues as a child of God

Conclusion

The time of separation is also a time of gathering

the sons of the evil one will be gathered - for burning!

gathering of the saints in the cloud

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 NASB 2020

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

gathering of elect at the second coming

Matthew 24:30–31 NASB 2020

30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Song - behold he comes! hallelujah to the Lamb