Appearances Can Be Deceiving

This is a message from leading the way with Dr. Michael.

You sat we pray that it will encourage you in your walk of faith.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. you Seth for leading the way, please visit LTW.sitting is a sole discretion as being in existence throughout history fitting is a problem that is going to be with us until Jesus comes back is never going to go away counterfeiting does not only exist in the area of currency or precious stones. Counterfeiting also exist in people.

How many times probably.

You've heard you have an on going to tell you but you people say boy I thought I knew him. I thought I knew her and Amanda referring to a person who have conducted themselves in a certain way that they have lived and behaved in a certain manner for a period of time and then all of a sudden they see a country behavior than the one that is exhibited for a period of time.

I have known people who have shown and everywhere that they are committed to Jesus Christ and then all of a sudden they abandon the faith.

There are people even in the ministry who give every appearance that they are called of God, and then all of a sudden not only abandon the ministry will abandon the faith and bring disgrace to the name of God that I'm not talking about sin, or moral failure that causes a person to step down from a ministry I'm talking about a person abandoning the faith. But I do thank God for one thing, is that this is a rare occurrence.

It is not too common thing God but it teach me this that the real and the fake can be indistinguishable that the true and the imitation can be frighteningly similar that the genuine and the counterfeit can look alike, most often for a long time that we can't tell the difference between the real and the counterfeit is happening more and more in our day and I don't know why that of the settlement has seemed to vanished and maybe because these people wear the mask right maybe because it plays the role perfectly. Maybe because they use the right language in the right terminology. But that's precisely the point of the parable that is in Matthew 13 we refer to as the weeks and the tear of the weeds and the weeds and today I'm going to start this new series of messages entitled the point of the story because there is a point to every parable. The Jesus gives us one key point and other principles to be learned in this particular parable is somewhat easier because Jesus not only tells a parable, but he also tells us what it means the Lord Jesus Christ.

The greatest preacher that ever lived decided to teach by story by riddle by an illustration. Why because a story can help to bring a theory into practice as story helps us to understand an abstract idea, and put it into real life story helps us to illustrate a distant thought and make it practical and that is why he taught with a story.

Most of you will be listening to me for a while know that. Seldom do I preach a sermon without telling you some sort of an illustration or a story in order that you might remember it and remember the text.

I don't like the story to be the servant as some people do but make it to be an illustration of the tax so you remember what the word of God said in Matthew 13 Jesus tells two groups of parables. The first group of parable is that he tills to the vast crowd, and then he reserves explanation of it to the disciples, and he only tells them what it means. The second group of illustrations. He tells the disciples alone only to their ears because that some things only the disciple of Jesus Christ must know and must understand and if this is the parable that Jesus tells to the crowd, but he reserves explanation of it.

He tells them the story. But then the point of the story is only told to those who are his followers. The disciple, if you have your Bible, please turn to Matthew 13 beginning at verse 24 the story is simply this is a farmer who owns a vast piece of land and in the normal way of agriculture of those days he would work hard letting the blade cut into the soil and prepares it and opens it up if you like for the seed to come in softly prepares the soil.

He goes around putting the seed now this is not a machine going around throwing seed to hundreds of acres in one day. This was all done on foot probably had the that the seed somewhere and in the past in his pocket, and who be going around throwing the seat and he keeps walking back and forth getting some more seed and spreading around. And by night time. He is bone tired. The farmer is start so he rests at night. What happens during the night while he was resting an enemy comes in who hates him so much and he comes in with some seed that looks exactly like the wheat and some translation tear.

We or Donnell what it means is a seed that looks exactly like the wheat so the farmer wakes up in the morning to start looking around. Even though the sum of the seed has made its way all over to the ground and he can see it on the surface he cannot tell the difference. So the enemy comes at night and he sows counterfeit seed look-alike wheat wanted to focus with me here on five things in this particular story number one I want to focus on the field.

Secondly, the two sores firmly to crops.

Fourthly, the two questions that the servants ask and finally the two harvests now though, some writers when you think about the field for some commentators for a reason that is known to them on going to tell you what it is have said that the field is the church and the reason they said the field was the church is because they want to tell you that the church is not supposed to be a holy and righteous and pure body of Christ that the church must include everybody. Those who believe those who don't believe everybody comes in and the church is not supposed to be the bride of Jesus Christ.

But I want to tell you that is totally erroneous and not because Michael Yusuf said as her own.

This is because Jesus Christ said this is erroneous.

Look at verse 38 of Matthew 13 Jesus said the field is the world is the church we need to go back to school and learn how to read now to be sure, in the church of Jesus Christ. There are many Christians who are Christians in name only in the church of Jesus Christ. There are some who believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, but not necessarily the same universal in the church of Jesus Christ. There are many who claim to be Christians, but they are nothing but look-alike Christian names on the membership role of the field is bigger than the church. God owns the world Vanessa point Jesus is making here in that story.

The first one of the story is that his daddy owns the world. This is my father's world.

The devil has no right in this world whatsoever. He likes to think that he does. He tried and he continues to try to convince people that he has a right this world, but he has no right. He acts as if he has right to this world, but he doesn't he mislead so many people and thinking that he does but he doesn't. In fact, the Bible said that he is the God of this world only as far as those who are under his domain of concern, but this is God's world. He made it he put it together. He owns it all in one day soon he will demonstrate his ultimate power field illustrate his ultimate authority he will demonstrate his ultimate ownership upon this world when he comes back.

Secondly, Jesus tells of two sores and he distinguishes between them so clearly that there is no doubt in anyone's mind. They are distinct in every way. They are different in character.

They are different in purpose and they are different in nature.

Jesus is the first store he is the one who owns the field.

Is this farm he owns it he plants in the daylight without fear and hesitation he plans in truth he plants in the state and he plants and hard work.

He plans good. Real precious seed that has value.

Satan is the second sort.

He doesn't own land is a usurper. The land belongs to somebody else.

He is the enemy of the land owner. He is the enemy of the landlord, so he sneaks in at nighttime, he sneaks in secret. When nobody is watching.

When people are resting and he sneaks in and he so she worthless look-alike type of wheat seed that is nothing but weeds and irritation has no value whatsoever. Have you ever stopped for a moment and thought about how this parable is worked out in our society today and how Satan usurper have been misleading. Even some of God's elect and confusing the two sores.

Have you thought how the Lord Jesus Christ sows genuine love that Satan comes in alongside and he sows on the same field. He saw those cheap sentimentality fuzzy warm enough when Christ sows true compassion. But Satan comes in and he sows feel-good type of good work God can distinguish between the two. Christ comes in sows profound faith and trust in his father.

His supernatural power and his powerful hand.

Satan comes in and he sows faith in oneself. Believe in yourself. Christ sows personal purity, righteous living. Satan comes in any sows if it feels good do it. He shows if it doesn't hurt somebody else. It's all right. Christ sows the good seed of genuine Christian fellowship. But Satan comes in any sows the seed of fake alliances trying to achieve some sort of ethereal goal while Christ is sowing the seed of biblical and theological truths.

Satan comes in any sows the seed of secular and pragmatic logic. The two sorts could not be more different to the discerning whether there are two distinct crops or products of the sewing the son of God sows wheat in the fields.

The enemy comes in and he sows look-alike wheat but is weed. This is incredibly diabolical trick seat. Satan does not show the wicked among the wicked best to office not doing much damage, but he saw as the wicked among the good Satan's action is motivated by pure malice and hatred toward the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to think about adjustment for moment one doesn't have a marketable value weed, otherwise you wouldn't spend any money on your yards and just let the weed growth as an evaluator. You do it yourself you can somebody do it to get out and sought out has no market value. The wheat on the other hand, does. And yet this particular type of weed this Darnell the stair looks so much like wheat that even some experts can tell the difference. You have a hard time distinguishing between the two when you look at them just grinning out in the field.

It really is very difficult to tell the difference. But Satan does not only so, false seed out of pure malice and hatred to the landowner, but he so this false seed is a form of revenge. He is revenging now want to give you a little bit of historical background. Back then it was common.

If a farmer has an enemy.

The enemy does not necessarily God and killing but he waits until my time. In fact, he waits until the season when the ground is a ready move from being followed to being prepared for planting and then he waits for the very day that the farmer goes out of what is seed out there and then he comes at night and he puts his counterfeit see that was such a crime insidious crime by exempt the Roman government instituted a special punishment in the law books against the because it ruins the whole year of livelihood for the farmer because it takes so long to discover you have determined that all in good mad dog. It even comes from Satan is the one who going those words and this is how he thinks he can get even with the landowner. Then there is the wheat.

The good precious seed in the parable of the seller. In Matthew 51 and following the seed was the word of God and here in this particular parable. The wheat is a good seed because it is a product of that precious word of God and when the word of God is received when the word of God is understood when the word of God is or braid it produces children of the kingdom who are good wheat. I wanted to listen to me very carefully. Please. This is very important. As I apply this story to your life in the mind, the Lord has purpose to so his redeemed into the world of sin in the world of sorrow and in the world of suffering someone would tell you why on God's earth that God would allow this. Why would be just different over here in this category. Everything to look different so we can tell the difference, so that you and I might bear fruit much fruit, so that you and I may be a witness in the midst of the weed so that you and I may be a light in the darkness, so that we may declare his marvelous deeds and I want to tell you if you feel in your heart you are unhappy and miserable because of where you are right now I want to remind you that you did not plant yourself. Unless you are there. As a result of sin and where you are but God has planted you and he has planted you where you are for a purpose he has planted you there for a reason, the soul has planted you and your resistance and complaining and moaning and sulking about where you are planted is not honoring God one bit. Find out while you're planted where you're planted in whichever corner God has planted you in that field you find yourself sown in their Jesus has planted you there in order that you may bear fruit in the basement. Fourthly to the two questions that the servants have asked the landlord to general questions.

First question is Sir, did you not sow good seed in the field where the bad seed come from second question, do you want us to go down into the field and pull up to gal all the weeds down asking these questions across the servants of raising the age old questions people been asking for generations for hundreds of years. Why did the serpent was allowed and permitted to be in the garden of Eden. Why Judas was allowed and permitted to be one of the 12 why was the only church was about to be racked by false resident. Why God has allowed sin and sorrow to exist in the world I can take several hours giving all the pet answers.

I want to tell you this.

If you are weed you going to keep continuing as these questions because there are red herring questions.

My answer to you is repent and turn to the Lord. That's what the messages if you are wheat you must understand the power available to you available to me to live victorious above the weeds of this world. The service was so anxious to get down to business. Megan ask you raise your hand. How many of you identify with the service, but I will man I want to go in there and clean up.

I want to get it all cleaned them up top water right now as natural as natural want to pull evil weeds out of our world and our society. And it doesn't mean that we shouldn't do everything possible to keep the light shining but here's what Jesus said. He said let them both grow with both good and evil exist let my children live in the midst of Satan's children. Let my people shine in the midst of darkness. Let my all stand tall among the weeds of this world, let my children be rebuking a testimony to Satan and all that to gather evidence for the day of judgment when the time of separation comes this into a Jesus of Marcus in your Bible. He says my angels not man that you not not us. My angels are going to do the judging you know why is our judgment.

Even the best for which brings me to the fifth part of this story. The two harvests. Look at verse 41 is Jesus saying in effect that the reapers who are my angels are going to be able to distinguish between the weed in the wheat they will not make a mistake.

I believe with all my heart that if anyone is going to end up in hell and also going to end up in hell. None of them are going to say man. I am hereby mistake. There was see things so clearly none of them are going to say deal.

This is not a fair shake. That's not what no they know that they're there because they got themselves there the angel again to distinguish between wheat and wheat. First, Jesus said they got together, the weeds and the going to bundle them together in bundles and they going to gather them, and after they put them together in bundles to be throwing them into the furnace and then the wheat is going to be gathered and is going to go into the barn with the landowners.

Prescott wanted to watch how quickly DeAngelis going to gather the wheat together is going to be a swift operation but I want to tell you, as I reflected upon this again and again I couldn't help how we in this time in history that we have been watching alliances and in alignments and unions and in the bundling together of all the weeds in the world and economical world. You have the nesters and the cats in the European markets and the Asian markets in the Latin American markets in the social world.

You have all the organizations like the people for the American Way in alliance with the homosexual groups in alliance with the film as groups in alliance with the national organization for women in alliance with Planned Parenthood all being bundled together.

Weed is being bundled together for the day of the harvest in the political world.

We have an ever increasing influence of the United Nations, the European Union, the Asian union African Union and on and on. In the realm of organized religion uses alliances and ecumenical movements of ecumenical unions between Jews, Muslims and reporters all get together and have a world religion and Jesus said that after the gathering in the bundling of the weeds comes to destruction of five acts 1731 said that it has been appointed a day in which he will judge the world. All of human history. All of world history has been sent toward one day and that is the day of judgment. Revelation 1614 said that the final judgment of all the wicked will take place at the great white throne. What is the weed weeds or symbolizes all of the lost soldiers have been deceived by Satan and then they looked like weed but there really the heart have never been circumcised. They've never been born of the Spirit of God in the furnace of fire and the wailing and gnashing of teeth old describes the horrors of hell.

The furnace denotes the seriousness of the atonement, the wailing symbolizes the anguish in which these people are going to be in the gnashing of teeth is a graphic way of describing the state of despair in which they going to find himself not a very happy thought is I want to talk to you. Who are we just ferment those who know the Lord Jesus Christ want to tell you if you ever understand and comprehend the point of the story, it will radicalize your prayer life. It will radicalize your ministry. It will radicalize your witnessing life.

It will radicalize your giving and stewardship life. Why, because that's what's awaiting all those who don't know the son of God call it a different harvest awaits the wheat. Those who are in Christ Jesus, the Son of Man returns he will gather all of the week to the fields of this world from every tribe and every nation. Every time is going to gather them all. He will be with them all together. What a great gathering that's going to be. What a glorious gathering awaits the righteous because all going to be in the bonds of the landowner or to go so would you go with this story I believe that we are living in this age of grace.

Whether we can become wheat. I thank God that everyone who knows the Lord Jesus ought to commit themselves to reaching out to those who may look alike wheat those whom I have a church membership somewhere but they have no relationship with God the son, everyone is going to go out there pull somebody by the lapel and evangelize.

I never send him the guilt trip.

God didn't give the gift of evangelism to everybody. Some have the gift must use it but I believe with all my heart. Everybody can be involved in the process.

Everybody can pray everybody can give everybody can serve our members a story about Charles Spurgeon in England and the preaching the tabernacle one day and he says he says look do something, do something, do something don't sit in the seats of salvation for the next of your life do something every grain of wheat who is hearing my voice. At one point was we I was a terrible week. Students can become saints loss can be children of the devil can become the children of the King of Kings. Counterfeit Christians can be true and joyous believers, or else. None of us would be here today. The question you must ask yourself this day, one of my wheat or my weed. Only you and the Lord can answer the question if you come to the conclusion that your been a weed all this time never really have never committed your life and never surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible said today is a day of salvation come to him today is waiting for you but those who are presuming most of you who are listening here are wheat.

Then ask yourself this question on my bearing fruit just doing my job but on my bearing fruit.

Just last week that a Swiss scientist have apparently said that if you take one head of wheat you planted and harvested independent unharvested with all the right circumstances and the right weather and write everything that according to the method of calculation. On the other side is I don't understand I'm only repeating whatever it according to him, that one head of wheat eight years from now concede the whole world for one day. Are you multiplying yourself this is a question let's not make a decision today, God will honor that and say Lord I don't even know how to will you help me to become fruitful. Maybe one person that I need to witness to. I don't have to have all the answers on my taken to somebody might tell them about you tell about my life.

One person that's multiplication shall pray, precious Lord, you know, every heart that standing before you right now you know the secrets you know the ins and you know the outs you know us better than we know ourselves over my fake it with each other. We can take it with you and therefore withstand heavenly father on the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we want to be fruitful. Father, we want to be a weakness producing fruit in your world and father. We know that you will honor the desire show us how forward. Pray this in the precious name of Jesus