Bel Air #12

Weeds

Matthew 13:24–30 KJV 1900

24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Lets pray

Introduction

We want to look at the world in a Biblical worldview

there are five pillars in this worldview

The first pillar is Creation

We understand that we were created by God

No matter how long you search, there are no apes in my family

We understand that god created everything

Our next pillar we need to see is the fall of man

This was our rebellion against God

and in that rebellion against God

the world was thrust into a state of curse

and thrust into a state of sin

It is because of the fall

We understand the suffering of human beings

we understand that everything that is broken around us is because of the fall

A person without this Biblical worldview will interpret the brokenness of the world by other means

But if you have this biblical worldview, you can point to anything that happens in society that is broken and have complete understanding of the reason

even the brokenness in you

So we can say we are broken and the world is broken because of the fall

So we see the world through Genesis 3.

Does that make sense?

The third pillar is redemption

That is when we understand what is happening right now

redemption

That is God had a plan following the fall and was already in His mind before the fall.

God is in the process of redemption

He is harvesting to himself a people from every tribe, nation, and tongue.

Harvesting from every continent in the planet

a people who will live with Him forever

And we know that during this time of redemption

not everyone is going to be harvested

But what God is doing right now is moving all the pieces around the world

harvesting sons and daughters

He is gathering a church from every place in the world unto Himself

So Redemption so we understand is what God is doing in the earth

The fourth pillar of the Biblical worldview is consummation

This is to bring everything to a close, an ending

Through consummation, we understand time is running out

that according to the Scriptures, God is bringing the world towards consummation

He is preparing the world for the end of all things as we know it

That is why it is foolish to try to create a paradise here

Trust me

there is no paradise you are going to create here

God is moving the entire world towards a definite ending

think about it

I believe that ending is closer than we think

the rapture of the church is closer than we think it is

The return of Jesus is closer than we think it is

so there is a consummation

there is a point where God will bring everything to a close

All of it is in the Word of God

the only people who don’t know are the ones who don’t want nothing to do with the word of God, right?

The fifth pillar of the Biblical worldview is new creation

It is all in the word of God

Go read Revelation 20 and 21.

God said in the end, He will recreate the earth

He is going to recreate the world

He is going to burn this world by fire

And after the recreation of the world, He will come and live with His people

We will live with God

And Jesus will rule and reign for the endless ages of eternity from the city of Jerusalem

And it is through this worldview that we interpret the world

So I am not confused about what is happening right now

I know that I am living in the time of redemption right now

Does that make sense to everyone?

A biblical worldview

Those five pillars make up the biblical worldview

The reason I waited to preach on this worldview is because of this reason

If there ever was a story that illuminates the significance of a biblical worldview

and what God is doing right now

and where we are right now

and what our priorities need to be right now

it is the parable we are going to unpack

You know there are two kingdoms right now

the kingdom of light

and the kingdom of darkness

these two kingdoms are constantly in battle with each other

Now Jesus came to inaugurate the kingdom of light

and that the kingdom of light is advancing in every direction

in the hearts of men across the entire globe

we know the kingdom of light will eventually overthrow the kingdom of darkness

until the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of God

Now Jesus taught these teachings about the kingdoms encrypted in that He called parables

Now the parables of Jesus were encrypted for the learning of His followers

but it was a type of judgment against those who rejected His teaching.

And if you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, the parables about the kingdom are important to your personal life

Does everyone understand that?

So He puts to them another parable

saying the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sewn good seed in his field

But while this man was sleeping

his enemy came and sewn 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 then?

He said to them

An enemy has done this

So the servant said

Then do you want us to gather them up?

But he said

No, by gathering the weeds, you will root up the wheat along with them

Let them both grow 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 instead into my barn

Now I want you to pay attention to this parable

Notice Jesus tells a story about two farmers

One farmer sow good seed in his field

The other farmer comes behind him and sewn weeds in his field

During the time when Jesus told this parable, the disciples would have been very familiar with this kind of scenario

One farmer would sow good seed in his field and if another farmer had a grudge against the first farmer

he would come at night when no one was around and sow weeds into the field

Now this type of weed they will sew is only found in the Middle East

It is called Darnell weed

Darnell weed is a type of weed that when you sew it in the ground

it begins to grow and it looks identical to wheat

So while they are growing, you can not tell them apart

The wheat looks exactly like the weed

and they are growing at the same time

The difference is that Darnell weed has poison in their roots

And you will not be able to tell them apart until they both are fully grown

And once they are fully grown

you notice the heads of the star, one is wheat and one is weed

but by the time they are fully grown underneath the ground, they are too intertwined together

So if you try to separate them too early

you might pull out a weed and wreck a wheat at the same time

So whenever this happened

farmers would wait till the harvest

They would send their laborers to separate the wheat from the weeds

They would gather all of the wheat and put it in a place of safety

and the weeds, they will pick it up from the floor and they will throw it into the furnace

They would let it burn for fuel

I want you to pay attention to what Jesus is about to say

And I want you to see the parable through a Biblical worldview

Matthew 13:36–43 KJV 1900

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Now I want you to follow this teaching carefully

When we did the parable of the sower

what did Jesus sew?

The word of God

What did Jesus harvest from sewing the Word of God

Sons and daughters

So He first sews the word and harvests His followers

then He takes the followers and He sews them

Did you see that?

First He sews the word.

He harvests followers

Then He takes the followers and He sews them

So those of us who have been saved, we’ve been saved by the seed of the word

and then He sews you

Follow the teaching

The field is the world

the good seed is the sons and daughters of the kingdom

The weeds are the sons of the evil one

And the enemy who has sewn them is the devil

the harvest is the end of the age

the reapers are angels

Now we need to pay attention to this text carefully

He said the field is the world

who owned the field?

the sower

So Jesus is the owner of the field

The is why the scripture says in Psalms 24

Psalm 24:1 KJV 1900

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein.

So the earth belongs to the farmer

It belongs to Christ

So the field is the world that Jesus owns

Then He says He takes the seeds, the good seeds of the kingdom and He sews them into the field

First, you have been harvested by the word of God

You have been harvested by the gospel

And God takes all of His children like seed and He scatters them in the world

In some areas there are more seeds than there are in other areas

But all around the world He has scattered seeds

He reaps them by the gospel and then he sews them back into the world

So everyone who is saved, you have been planted by the Lord Jesus Christ

Your planting is not by accident

You have been planted with your gifts

your abilities

your burdens

your concern

Your planting is not by accident

You have been planted in this hour

and this season for such a time as this

Your parents were planted in another generation

and your grandparents were planted in their generation

The Lord knows the needs of this generation

and He planted you in this generation

We need to bear fruit where ever we have been planted

until He picks me up from that garden and plants me somewhere else

I just need to be faithful where ever I have been planted

So our planting was by design

our planting has been on purpose

and where ever the Lord has planted you

He planted you for a purpose

This is why you need to read the whole thing together

When He called you to be the salt and the light

He planted you to be the salt and the light where ever you are

He did not plant Christians to just go to church

Remember

Biblical worldview

Whatever are we living in?

Redemption

What is God busy doing?

Harvesting people before times runs out

Consummation

So if we are to understand the biblical worldview

and we understand we have been planted right now

we are living in this era of what?

Redemption

We are living in this era where we should be busy about what?

Kingdom work and about the spread of the gospel

We should be busy about that because according to the Biblical worldview

you know what is coming next

Consummation, judgment, the end of all things

And so you need to see your planting as strategic

as purposeful as on purpose

And if you have a Biblical worldview

then you are not just living absent from the understanding the time and the era that you live in

You understand creation

you understand the fall

if you know the biblical review , you are living in redemption

You are living in the time of history when God is trying to harvest a people to Himself

You know what is coming next

Consummation, the end

You know everybody is not going to be in a good position at the end

Are you being fruitful?

if not

Why are you a plant that is not fruitful?

What good is an unfruitful plant during the age of redemption?

A plant that doesn’t pray

a plant that doesn’t care

a plant that doesn’t see

What good are you as a plant?

And the one who sews the weeds is the evil one

The scripture says the devil came in at night and sewn the weed

Why?

Because the devil likes to start trouble and try to be undetected

Notice he says the devil came at night

when people are sleeping

when they are not paying attention

That is why the scripture says you need to be vigilant and paying attention

He said the devil came in and planted weeds in the garden

Who are the weeds?

He said in the world there are people who are sons of the devil

When you call them out

they say that you are judgmental

you are closeminded

Here is the teaching though

Jesus says right now in the world

there are sons that I planted

and among them are the sons that the devil planted

So in the world everywhere on every continent

are the sons of God and the sons of the devil

They have been planted in the same field

and they were planted among one another

That means everywhere there are people

In a church

in a school

in an office

in a room

there are the sons of God and the sons of the devil

and they have been planted among one another

Because the weed looks like the wheat, you can not tell them apart

So you could be in a room and you would not even know you are sitting next to a son of the devil

The enemy did not plant weeds that you can easily see

The devil plants weeds that look and act like the sons of God

And it is hard to tell them apart

This is why you need to be looking for the fruit

Here is a solid test from 1 John

Belief in Christ

1 John 4:15 KJV 1900

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

Love for others

1 John 3:14 KJV 1900

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Obedience to God’s Commands

1 John 2:3–6 KJV 1900

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

a habit of righteousness

1 John 3:9–10 KJV 1900

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

So if the field in the world has the sons of God coexisting with the sons of the devil , then everyone is coexisting with good and evil

So if we have a Biblical worldview

we know that the world has fallen and that in the world are the sons of the devil

there will always be evil in the world

and because God did not plant them

He can not be blamed for evil in the world

Have you ever had someone come up to you and say this

If God exists, why is there some much evil in the world?

Your answer should be because you have the wrong world view

Because I have a Biblical world view

I know we live in a fallen world and the sons of the devil are in the world planted by the devil to do wickedness and to bring harm to society

So why was there a school shooting

sons of the devil

why is there false religions being led by false prophets?

sons of the devil

Why are the people committing rape and murder?

sons of the devil

why are there people who are opposed to Christ and the gospel?

sons of the devil

why do people hate you on your job because you are a Christian?

sons of the devil

And so if you have a Biblical world view

and we understand scripture

we know that good and evil have to coexist unfortunately for a period of time

Does everyone understand this?

And the ones who the devil planted are not always going to be obvious

they will mimic Christians

There are people who will act very moral but are sons of the devil

So we must understand that all around us are the sons of the devil

Does everyone understand this?

Let us pray