A World Full of Wheat and Weeds, Part 2

We are living in a world it's fraught with evil because most stadiums of all the Lord our God is righteous purposes and plan is a system of thinking that has at its root, that which is evil and we must be discerning detecting that which is anti-God and antichrist. Anyone who tried to cultivate a colorful guard maintain a plush green lawn understands the frustration that comes when the wicked.

We boils our hard work, we seem to outpace our reference to champion and wise are those who spot and remove instructor growth consumes everything we planted today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll reminds us that Jesus use this same metaphor in Matthew chapter 13 is filled with application for our times check title. Today's message a world full of weeds and we begin with prayer may all glory rise to you, our father, as we have heard song may all pleasure and laughter all sorrow and trials rise to you in our hearts returned to you.

Our father and make your voice become the single most significant voice we hear deep within our soul rightful Lord in this world that is so far away from where you would want us to be.

You are there you have not left us you will never abandon us. In fact, you hold us in your hands. It's there we find comfort and security, peace and protection hope and a reason to go on. I remember those today who sit in this gathering afraid uneasy struggling within over some issue, some heartache, some decision some path they have taken that is let them in the wrong direction. I pray that you will use your word today in each of our lives to shine a light on the course.

We are to take in the decisions we must make make it clear to us, our father what it is you want from us and then find within us hearts of obedience and willingness to follow. We realize our father in this world in which we live that good and evil grow together and often we cannot tell the difference by looking, or even by hearing and seeing so we need the discernment you can give as you hold us in your hands.

And as you direct our steps. Father I pray that you will use our gifts for the single purpose of spreading the message of hope to those who were hopeless providing light for those who live in darkness and direction for those who were confused give us enjoy our father in giving remembering that it is more blessed to give than to receive, encourage those who represent us in places that are difficult serving miles away. Many of them in dark and dangerous places, watch over them carefully.

Remind them that they too are held in your hand. We give our gifts as we offer this prayer with confidence in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Everyone said amen study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll sure to download is searching the Scriptures by going to Insight world.or/studies and other message from Chuck about a world full of weeds and weeds, workers, and they asked since they were asleep. That night when the crop began to grow. Verse 27 they say Sir the field where you planted the good seed is full of weeds.

Where did they come from is interesting that Jesus never explains the reason he and the father allow evil and good to grow together.

That's not explained here are in fact elsewhere.

It's all part of the mystery of lawlessness that continues to grow, but there is always good and there was always evil and they grow together and what's interesting is that we cannot tell them apart until later on. So they asked the natural question should we pull out the weeds and he quickly answers, no significant because most of us when we see or hear that there is weeds along with wheat we want to get rid of it. Want to get rid of the evil get rid of the wrong get rid of every benefit as quickly as we can, but he deliberately says in the story. No, no, let it be. In fact, Ferdie says let both grow together until the harvest, the master, the farmer says I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds tie them into bundles burned in, and to put the wheat in the barn so there is a time of planting.

There is a period of waiting and then there is the ultimate climax for the crop and that is the harvesting of the crop leaving the crowds outside verse 36 begins Jesus went into the house. Probably this is in Capernaum and it is a house perhaps where he is often gone for rest and relieve and his disciples around there with him. And there they say please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field notice they're not asking about the wheat is the week that concern them. The good crop we understand why the weeds put another represent what is this about.

So Jesus takes them through the story one point after another to begin with, the farmer is identified as the Son of Man, so whatever else the story is representing the main character is Jesus.

He is the one in charge of the crop. He's the one watching over the harvest. He's the one who knows the plan for the growth and ultimately what to do with both weed and we, the Son of Man is the farmer now want to pause at this next one because it becomes extremely more complicated. The field is the world you and I tend to think at that moment of the globe, but it's not about nations. It's not about the globe. This is the cause of loss.

One man writes the cosmos is the sum total of human life in the ordered world alienated from, and hostile to God and of the earthly things which seduce us from God was right there. Much of what comprises the world is unseen. It is intangible it has to do with dark powers that are at work evil influence that seduces that attracts but looks so much like the good but necessary.

The best part of our world. But the definition goes on to describe this which seduces us from God. It is the ordered system of which Satan is the head's fallen Angels and Demons or his emissaries in the cosmos and the unsaved of the human race, or his subjects. Much of this world system. Don't miss this much of the world system is a religious be cultured C refined the intellectual but it is anti-God.

And it is anti-rights before I go further. What we have, which makes it complicated is the unseen forces of evil at work in the midst of the world. We know that's familiar to us when we could touch what we can see the material world around us.

But behind the scenes, there are these influences represented in the weeds that are in the field, which is the cosmos I go a little further and again ask you to listen carefully. Another man writes the cosmos is all that floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations at any time current in the world which it may be impossible to seize and accurately define what which constitutes a most real and effective power being the moral or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we inhale again inevitably exhale.

This is the world system. I pause so that you can let the picture emerge in your mind. It is a full on system of thinking that has at its roots.

That which is evil but you don't know it when you are around it, inhaling it and exhaling it because it seems just like that which is good and necessary. Just a part of life. Since, as we read the complete and the weeds grow together looking like but they are nothing at all like the cosmos stands at odds with the Lord our God, and is righteous purposes, and plans.

I say again, he does not explain why he is pleased that they dwell together. He simply permits it to go on together and we must be as we mature, discerning so as to realize the difference between the two detecting that which is anti-God and antichrist. We show you a perfect example turn to first John chapter 2, not the gospel of John way over toward the end of your Bible and the letters of John there are three of them before Jude and Revelation go to the first letter. Chapter 2 were still on the subject of the field, the world, the cosmos, first John two verse 15 do not love the cosmos. There is no the things it offers you for who you love the cosmos. You do not have the love of the father in you and now he amplifies because the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the father but are from the cosmos. One more verse in this cosmos is fading away along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. The realm of the cosmos is the realm in which we live, the unseen world of evil. It is not politically correct, even to refer to good and evil in our day of political correctness. By the way, I heard Dr. Ben Carson on the radio interview you are aware of Dr. Carson and his commitment to Christ and and he was being asked about our times, and while on the subject. He got into the subject of political correctness because someone brought it up and he said I want to pause right here is not an exact quote, but as I recall, this is the general meaning of what he had in mind we must steer clear of political correctness. As he put it, it's all part of the system that gets us to thinking like those moving in the wrong direction or something of that nature and I thought perfect example of what is described in the definition of the field or the world. This is the cosmos we are surrounded by it motives or drawn from it. Decisions are made in the and without the discernment that the spirit of God gives us.

We can easily find ourselves at the mercy of evil thinking. It is good. Now back to Matthew 13. I know there's more like to be set on that and I like to say on it but the same with the story. Jesus is the field is the cosmos.

Next we read the good seed represents the people of the kingdom. This would be righteousness. Those who represent the righteous cause. Those who know the Lord Jesus those who walk with God. Those who represent him privately and in public. These are the people who love God walk with him.

The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. Not surprisingly, one of the common beliefs of our day, especially among intelligentsia is the thought that all thoughts of a literal devil or source stupid foolish and ignorant. Jesus teaches here that the devil is very real. In fact, is the one who plants the weeds among the wheat. See, here's an example of where you will allow the Scripture to guide your decisions. Your thinking the opinions you form, or the system in which you live in the longer we live in the system, the greater will be the influence in the magnet to draw us in not saying everything in the world around us is evil. But I'm saying the world itself is saturated with evil influence. Perfect illustration of that take you back to first John, but this time chapter 5.

If you don't mind turning look at verse 19, then will go back and say in Matthew 13. Look at first John 519, we know that we are children of God and at the world around us.

There is a word.

Again the world around us is under the control of the evil one under the control of the evil one. One of my mentors now did, under whom I learned much, and served for a number of years. Audrey Dwight Pentecost used to translate it used to paraphrase this the world are lies in the lap of the evil one pretty good description. The cause of loss is his fitting. He permeates it he works through it. He has his representatives, some of whom went back to our definition or religious some of whom are cultured, some are refined and some are intellectual, one more I die, so I wouldn't go anywhere else but I've yet to take you to second Corinthians 11. I want you to see this is an example of the enemy and what he is able to do and how he is able to appear. Second Corinthians 1113 these people are false prophets noticed there false I should say false apostles. They are deceitful workers there apostles, but there false apostles their workers with their deceitful workers, they disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I'm not surprised even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Every time I read that it puts a chill down my back right now it's happening. There are those who come across as workers for good but in fact they are representatives of evil and you cannot tell the difference.

Look it takes time for the grow together in the growing together we learn we discern. We realize we form opinions based on what the Scripture teaches not what comes naturally to us or we learn from those of the world system you're listening to Insight for living, our Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll titled today's message a world full of wheat and weeds.

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In light of the complicated issues facing our country and world today is possible you come to a place of discouragement, perhaps even fear and quite candidly your trust and confidence in God's sovereignty is waning.

Well, let me recommend a helpful book. Chuck is written that will bolster your confidence. It's a tremendous resource for yourself or perhaps for someone you love is going through a challenging time referring to Chuck's encouraging book called finding God when the world's on fire watching the news on television or scrolling through our favorite news sources online does little more than fuel our fear will Chuck shows us how to replace our worries with courage as we allow the truth of God's word fall onto fertile soil and you find all the details about Chuck's devotional book@insight.org/offer or call us if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 again. It's called finding God when the world's on fire which are just a little over a year ago, our staff at Insight for living, huddled together, trying to figure out how to navigate through the global pandemic. It was faith building to say the least and looking back. None of us imagine how God would provide what's needed to sustain this ministry.

Yes, Dave.

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When Chuck Swindoll continued tribal world full of wheat and Friday on Insight for living. The preceding message a world full of wheat and weeds was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide.

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