A World Full of Wheat and Weeds, Part 3

Today Chuck Swindoll teachers from Matthew chapter 13 hostile powers are always at work in our world play various roles. Remember we read in verse 41 there are those who cause sin they harass, they scandalize or stumbling blocks that cause conflict. They bring confusion. Remember the whole world lies in the of the wicked when teaching his disciples and less Jesus often employed a story we call them parables. Sometimes, rather than drive home the point.

Disciples found his storytelling mysterious and were somewhat confused. Wasn't the metaphors Jesus you with the application of those word pictures they found perplexing today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll invites us to examine founding in Matthew chapter 13, Jesus drew from first century agriculture to clarify spiritual lesson titled today's message a world full of wheat and we cause loss stands at with the Lord our God is righteous purposes and plan, 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. Now back to Matthew 13 Jesus as the field is the cause loss. Next we read the good seed represents the people of the kingdom. Those who know the Lord Jesus. We are the people who belong to the evil one.

The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil, Jesus teaches here that the devil is very real. In fact, is the one who plants the weeds among the wheat world itself is saturated with evil influence.

Perfect illustration of that I take you back to first John chapter 5. If you don't mind turning look at verse 19 look at first John 519, we know that we are children of God and that the world around us. There is a word. Again the world around us is under the control of the evil one because loss is his fitting. He permeates it he worked through it.

He has his representatives, some of whom back to our definition or religious some of whom are cultured, refined, and some are intellectual, one more I'd have 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. There are those who come across as workers for good but in fact they are representatives of evil and you cannot tell the difference by looking now back to Matthew 13 and then a few words of application, the enemy who plants the seed of the devil, the harvest represents the end of the world.

The world as we know it world which would be at the end of the tribulation before Jesus comes in class is feedback on this earth to establish his kingdom, and the harvesters of the Angels now watch closely. Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire so it will be Mrs. future at the end of the world, the Son of Man will send his angels, they will remove from his kingdom. Everything that causes sin. Note carefully the Greek says scandalize it with the idea of harassing, deceiving, all those that are everything that causes sin and all do evil and the angel will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. That's one side of the story. That's the ultimate result of evil and the righteous will shine like the sun in their father's kingdom, I think, is a reference to those who enter into the kingdom age for Christ will reign as king over all who call themselves king and Lord over all who call themselves Lord, and then he invites anyone who has ears to hear, to listen and to understand. I read this over and over more times than I can count and come up with four statements that I think will help put it in into perspective and perhaps what I have confused will help clarify this now number one hostile powers are always at work in our world hostile powers are always at work in our world. They play various roles.

Remember we read in verse 41 there are those who cause sin they harass, they scandalize they or stumbling blocks. They throw up barriers that cause conflict.

They bring confusion they represent resistance to truth and righteousness. There will always be hostile powers at work in the world as we know it. Remember the whole world lies in the lab of the wicked one is the second it is hard to distinguish the good from the evil that's obvious from the wheat and the weeds growing together, looking just like it's interesting that you may follow a certain teacher to be careful how I see this you may follow the teaching of an individual. It may be very persuasive, may have a large following may even use Bible verses in the teaching. The more you follow that individual and study that life and watch that kind of individual network. More you become aware is a child of God the things that concern you. You begin to question the approach to subjects. The motives that seem to be at work behind the scene or it may be spirit of narcissism grows.

It's all about the teacher.

The emphasis of the spotlight falls on him or her on her.

The character be careful because you have heard what you've heard regarding the wheat and the weeds. You know that good and evil grow together. The discerning don't let the visible and the impressive cause you by that alone to follow what you were hearing or the one who appears to be effective there often very effective teacher. They are often very popular individual as your discernment grows, the more you will feel the pushback within you pay attention to that the spirit of God is at work showing you this is not something you should follow or support.

It's hard to distinguish the good from the evil takes time. The Lord says let them grow together now, the third air brings up a practical point him to give it to the tendency on our part is to rush to extremes when dealing with wrong.

Our favorite reaction is a knee-jerk reaction. This is wrong. Get benefit stand against it, but you will notice the farmer restrained his workers from rushing to judgment. Patience is needed, by the way, during the period of waiting. You may be able to win the one who is caught up in the customer's over. Of time because you didn't jump in and act in a rash manner. There might be the members Jesus sat with sinners and publican in those meals.

He had together with them. They were saved. People they were part of the weeds. As time passes. I'm sure he won many of them over so it can happen in our case, a big part of wisdom is knowing when to act and when to wait and will you forever get out of your mind, that Satan is this little creature with horns and and and a pitchfork talked about this before.

He doesn't have a written epidermis okay I he isn't shouting curse words and representing obvious evil that's not how we operate. He is at least originally was the most magnificent creature among the Angels before he fell member. He masks himself as an angel of light. Here's the fourth and it's of the great relief.

Our God is just, he will ultimately judge but let me add that his wheels grind slowly with exceedingly fine if you discovered, as I have being impatient as I am a slow God seems to be in weight when you want him to work.

He is not in a hurry. He doesn't settle all of his accounts at the end of every month.

He lets it be in the passing of time. The mystery of iniquity continues to work and it is indeed a mystery. What happens during this time I will tell you because judgment does not fall immediately.

Evil tends to think what is room for getting worse because evil against the because judgment against an evil work is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men and women is fully set in them to do evil.

Ecclesiastes 811.

Because the thief isn't caught he robs more because the deceiver isn't exposed. He increases his deception, thinking that lack of judgment means the light is green.

Keep going. All of this brings me to two questions that you have to answer number one have you really been listening. This is the one place where you can look at the source of truth and determine for yourself the way you should think and how you should live. This is the place. This is not a politically correct arena or gathering. We speak of right and wrong, truth and error, good and evil, because those are all blurred in our age. Now that we are in this cosmos which lies in the lap of the evil one of the second question is this. Have you found yourself in the story you see where you are or you are part of the growing wheat crop serving Christ loving Christ, believing in Christ standing for Christ or have you bought into the system and found yourself prone to that and even promoting that which is not set forth in Scripture. You know what might migrate tendency is simply to have prayer and and send everybody on their way. But I'm not going to do that today I'm in again with a new story and you'll understand why I did with it. When I finished on Sunday night, October 8, 1871 well-known evangelist Dwight L. Moody preached to the largest congregation he had ever addressed in the city of Chicago is text that evening was, what shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ taken from Matthew 27 verse 22 and at the conclusion of the sermon Dwight L.

Moody said I wish you would take this text home with you turn it over in your minds during the week and next Sunday we will come to Calvary and the cross and we will decide what to do with Jesus of Nazareth. That is a song evangelist Ira Sankey whose hands were sprinkled throughout most evangelical in books began to lead in the singing of the hymn. Today, the Savior calls for refuge fly the storm of justice falls and death is not but Sankey never finished the hymn for body was singing the rush and the roar of the fire engines christened by the church on the street outside and before morning.

Much of the city of Chicago lay in ashes to his dying day.

Mr. Moody deeply regretted that he had told the congregation to come next Sunday and decide what to do with Jesus. He said I have never since dared to give an audience a week to think of their salvation. If they were lost they might rise up in judgment against me. I have never seen that congregation since that night I will never meet those people until I meet them in another world, but I want to tell you one lesson that I learned that night, which I've never forgotten and that is what I preach to press Christ upon the people then and there and try to bring them to a decision on the spot. I would rather have that right hand cut all that the given audience a week now to decide what to do with Jesus.

That is a great story… So I'm going to take Mr. Moody's advice and I'm going to say to you, you don't dare wait until next Sunday for a decision regarding Christ's what you have read is the true good and evil are at work. You are a part of one or the other. Your roots are deeply in Christ or they are poisonous roots that are yielding a poisonous life and when you see it in light of the black and white of the Scriptures. It's clear and you must determine what you will do with Christ. Let's do that now.

Please bow please sit very quietly as we come to terms with the gospel. This is a moment of decision for some of you before this time he was not trusted in the Lord Jesus you know that you cannot look back to any moment in your life when you turn your life over to Christ, you may have heard this news before but you've never truly acted on it. This is the moment God so loved the world he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him you hear the word whoever that you whoever believes in him will never perish, but have everlasting life.

Believe in him now think of Jesus as the gift of God for he is that something you must learn, play tennis for spend money to achieve. He is the gift of God and he is offered to you now. When he died on the cross. He paid the complete penalty for your sin until you trust in him, you remain a part of the weeds and you may even look like you're part of the week, but down within. If you do not know Christ. You are not trust him now. Do not wait.

You have done that today is the day for you to let us help you move toward a life that is a life of change in redirection for you were here for that reason, to help you come to terms. If you have not done so on your own with the Lord Jesus Christ trust him now. Thank you father for the truth of your word and thank you for Jesus who spoke it so clearly we pray that you would use these moments serious as they are to arrest our retention making certain that every person who leaves this building was exactly where she released. Thank you for Christ who loved us and gave himself. I pray that all who have heard this message will come to know the person in his name I pray this and for his sake.

Everyone said amen is exciting to realize that this very moment.

Men and women around the world are saying yes to God's call and in doing so, becoming members of God's family at Insight for living. We celebrate your decision and if you like to learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org just a few minutes ago we heard Chuck tell the story of DL Moody, the renowned evangelist who preached a sermon at Chicago just as the great fire broke out in the city. It's a vivid reminder that our world is on fire, and wise are those who pursue God rather than live in fear which overrode a devotional book that reinforces this urgency. It's called finding God when the world's on fire without question 2020 and 2021 have heightened our respect for mortality in our lifetime. We've never witnessed this level of uncertainty and fear, but Chuck reminds us that God knows about our stress and not only that God has provided a way to conquer fear with courage and hope that's the theme of this inspirational book, finding God when the world's on fire and you can purchase a copy right now by going to Insight.org/offer or by calling us if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 Chuck we often reminder listeners that they're not alone when receiving these daily programs in reality were joined by a multicultural audience.

Some who speak a different language than her own. That's true. Dave many in our listening family were surprised to learn that inside the living can be heard in eight additional languages other than the English language. Of course no one is more surprised than I am. Believe me when we started this media ministry back in 1979 I had no clue how God would expand our influence around this world gratefully, God has supplied the resources and the expertise of godly colleagues to help us translate Insight for living into languages not only in English but Arabic, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian. Several years ago. This momentum inspired us to declare an audacious goal that only God could achieve. We called it vision 195 and is our dream to cultivate biblical knowledge and application to all 195 countries of our world. There hasn't been a global pandemic and economic crisis, a national election that has deterred our determination to proceed with gusto. In fact, I'm pleased to report that were moving full steam ahead with the course. God has set before us in vision 195 and so today I'm not hesitant to invite you to join me in this mission by giving generously before the financial deadline of June 30, the largest portion of your gift will be applied to providing this daily program to your station and in this country a fraction of your donation is all that's needed to provide insight for living beyond your borders and in the heart language of those who listen. Here is our contact information and I look forward to hearing from you very soon.

Like today, which is one of several ways to respond to give a donation online, go to insight or/donate and also give a contribution by speaking with someone in our offices listening in the United States call us at 1-800-772-8881 800-772-8888 or go online to insight.90 join us again Monday, when Chuck Swindoll continues our study of the book of Matthew right here 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. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited