Dealing with Weeds

History we dreamt of a golden age of denial an ideal society of perfect peace and freedom and righteousness and equality.

Plato talked of his Republic's of Thomas Moore spoke of his utopia. William Payne of the city of brotherly love, marks of these egalitarian communist society.

Martin Luther King of his perfectly integrated United States of America. We all long for these idyllic paradises were tired and we have a world of injustice and poverty and equity and violence and war. Our leaders make great plans. Politicians make high sending speeches are grand initiatives are launched and international peace and economic conferences are held which promised so much and yet we still live in a world of violence. A world of unrest and poverty and injustice and inequity. None of these political, economic, philosophical, and religious utopias talked about have never ever materialized. History teaches us that we will never build a perfect society all the kingdoms of this world have ended in failure. They Babylonian Empire, the great empire of Alexander the great the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire. Yes, the British Empire, which is one time extended almost over 1/3 of the world. The Empire of the Third Reich of Nazi Germany. The communist societies of Marx and Lenin all have come, and all have gone.

Winston Churchill said the shores of history are strewing with the ranks of empires. They perished because there were fines on word or two. Isn't it exciting to be a follower of Jesus Christ and in our study of marks of Matthew's Gospel.

We are learning about the kingdom against kingdom. The kingdom of God where that will be perfect justice and peace and righteousness and this kingdom. The kingdom of heaven will never end and to the grace of God and through the love of God, you and I as followers of Jesus Christ are part of that kingdom. What an incredible future. We have that we will participate in this glorious kingdom which will never ends.

No, we don't set it up. One great day. One glorious day as the Old Testament said as the New Testament prophesied one great day, God came will set up a kingdom. It is from Daniel behold the clouds of heaven with the clouds of heaven, there came one like the Son of Man is our Lord Jesus, and he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him and to him that was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. You believe that you believe that we do that there will be a future day when all of the enemies of God are going to be destroyed and a whole are the whole act will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord and he will rule with perfect power and majesty and glory. We been running in our study of Matthew that with the coming of Jesus's kingdom.

Yes, the kingdom of heaven has come to, but we are also learning that that kingdom has not yet come in his fullness that there is a future aspect of this kingdom when our Lord Jesus Christ returns the visible kingdom of God will be established throughout the world by talk about the kingdom of heaven known peoples ammo. It is our world is unjust. Our world is evil, that doesn't see much sign of the kingdom of God. But the word of God is telling us that that kingdom is going to come. The kingdom of God is a charter thing which gives an overview of this concept of the kingdom of God which I know admittedly we can sometimes struggle with notice number one, King Jesus is, that is his incarnation, we celebrate that not only Christmas with every day of our lives that in Jesus Christ the kingdom of his calm repentance is John the Baptist the kingdom of God is at hand.

Now King Jesus is returned is ascended.

He's in heaven going to read that he describes us as the sons of the kingdom.

We are here we are sons of the kingdom is will learn today from the parable. This is the age of the church that we are now in. We look forward number three to the return of King Jesus is coming back was he going to do. Number four is going to our children. His great millennial kingdom arrayed on a thousand years when he rains and we, his saints will reign with him. But then there will be the great eternal kingdom of the new heavens and the new earth describes eloquently by John in the Revelation 21 and 22. The last time as we looked at these parables.

Last Sunday we read of in the first 23 verses of Matthew 13 we read of the parable of the sword. Today were going to look at three fascinating parables. One of them are going to look at it closely together to rather briefly but they will help us to learn about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus in Matthew 13 is teaching us about the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven. If you have your Bible open it please to Matthew chapter 15 and I'm going to read from verse 24 he, Jesus, put another parable before the oldest parable of the sore is another parable notice the kingdom of heaven is teaching us about the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. So when the plants came up in bold graying than the weeds appeared also at the severance of the master of the house came and said to master. Did you not sow good seed in your field.

How then does it have weeds. He said to them, an enemy has done this so the serpent said to him, then do you want us to go and gather them. He said no less than gathering the weeds you rooftop the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest of the harvest time.

I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned but gather the wheat into my barn it with another parable for them.

Say the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed the demand to consult within this field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is grown, it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air, and make nests in his branches, he told another parable. The third one today.

The kingdom of heaven is like 11 that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour till it was all 11 after these things Jesus said to the cars and parables. Indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.

This was to fulfill which was spoken by the prophet. I will open my my compatibles. I will after what has been hidden since the foundation of the world is revealing. As we saw last time. In verses 10 and 11 is revealing something of the mystery something of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven in the Old Testament that is truth about the coming of the Messiah and he's going to suffer.

And then there's also other scriptures dealing with the coming of the Messiah was going to rain with power and glory and know what these things didn't understand is between the first and the second coming. That is the age of the church and Jesus is talking about these truths. Note verse 36 that electric clouds. I went into the house notice is giving interpretation to his disciples, his disciples came to him, saying, explain to us the part above the weeds of the field. When I read that you think well was all about Jesus is going to tell you is going to give us the interpretation answered them, the one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom.

The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sold the sword them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age at the reapers are angels, just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be the end of the age, the Son of Man will send his angels will gather of his kingdom all causes of sin. Adult lawbreakers and throw them into the fiery furnace in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears like him. The marvelous teaching of the Lord Jesus in these parables. So as we look at the part about we call it the part of the love of the weeds on the tears harvest and the parties, there's weeds in the present age now, our Lord Jesus Christ is, but is not yet come back within this. The age of the church was happening now in the present age good seed and evil seeds are being sought good seed is presently being so on, by the Lord Jesus.

Verse 24.

The man sowed good seeds in his field.

Verse 37 the one who sows the good seed is the son of man, who's the Son of Man we saw that word in Daniel chapter 7.

It is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the Son of Man, Jesus is selling this good seed.

What does Jesus pray 20 comments does he begin repentance for the kingdom of God is at hand, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We saw in chapter 4 verse 17.

The field is not the church.

Please notice Jesus makes it very clear verse 38. They field is the world what's a good seed verse 38 is the sons of the kingdom. Jesus comes and he preaches and he sows the good seed in the field as one goes to all the world what is to be a response. How do we become part of this kingdom. How do we become a son and daughter of this kingdom listen to Jesus. Repentance and believe in the gospel. Jesus Christ is truly caring and of Jesus Christ is truly caring if he's the son of God and the Son of Man.

You cannot continue to live as you once lived.

That's the message of John the Baptist as he prepares the people to receive the King. King Jesus repentance that writes, turn from your sinful ways and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and calms as our Savior. Yes, the Savior of the world seed is being sown in the world through our Lord Jesus and his apostles and his disciples and continues to this day, our Lord Jesus Christ calms of the Savior to die for our sins and rises again through the miracle of the new birth were born into the family of God. So Jesus says to Nicodemus, unless you are born again, you can't see. You can enter the kingdom of God but those who come humbly place our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ then become Jesus says sons of the kingdom thought that Imus of the kingdom of heaven to be part of the kingdom. So this good seed now is being so usually is being sown very quietly without any fanfare is aware there is a boy of 10 who comes to Calgary church with his parents. He receives Jesus Christ as a Savior because I quietly he does that, without any trumpet blowing without any lightning in the sky as it were never lived a life of wickedness within the heart of this boy slowly, miraculously go.

It is a work in the 15 years I've been here I've had the joy of seeing little boys and little girls grow and blossom.

We see some of them helping us in the worship playing an instrument, singing singing in the choir singing the praise team singing in one body, says a word as the seed of God was planted 10 1215 perhaps 20 years ago world never knows it. The world doesn't immediately see it, but not good seeds blossoms and bears fruit.

The good seed is being sown by our Lord Jesus Christ, that the same time bad seed is being sown by our enemy knows that when the severance masters were sleeping.

That's not wrong us. You got to sleep.

Sometimes what happens. Verse 25. When they're sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tweets so do we. Among the wheat, and went away not understand this type of weed some translations this tears or all red now knows it's a poisonous weed and initially as he begins to grow it looks the same as the weight you can't immediately distinguish the weight from the tear as it grows in the morning grows on a pond it is that it is a weed rather than wheat.

In fact, these weeds are poisonous weeds and if you take them.

You can die to think of this good seed is being sown at the same time bad seed is being sown was a bad seat. Jesus tells us verse 38. It is the sons of the evil one here is Jesus sowing the good seeds the same time these evil weeds are set up to show/style filet planted beside the good seeds is sowing the weeds that they are bad seed verse 39 the enemy who sowed them is the rise, there's always a tonic opposition to the sowing of the good seed to the teaching and preaching of the word of God, we saw that last week with the portable of the soils as the seed falls on the hard drive. The birds immediately take it and Jesus said that the evil one.

You had a hard heart to go heart as though seed is sown. The devil is immediately trying to take it away. He hates the word of God and as we Calgary churches. Others are preaching the gospel throughout the world with others in your neighborhood with hundreds overseas in Papua New Guinea as we are sowing the good seed out NMA is sowing the bad seeds and is a work combines behind-the-scenes subtle mind you brothers and sisters. We went NMA who hates the word of God absolutely hates it. He opposes it, he will distract us. He tries to confuse the word of God with false doctrine with allies with dilutes with counterfeits once is destroy what God is doing, whether that's in your own trying to regard renal bunting good seats, be vigilant, the devil is trying to find Betsy seem to live for God, returns were committed to the word of God.

Let's always remember we have an NMA who is trying to distract us and disturb us and divide us by planting the evil seed has the fleets and the weeds grow. The difference between the two then becomes, upon the seven secrets, whether they did gather the weeds. Well, the problem is is a wise master, the farmer says the problem is if you retire the weeds, target weeds now let them grow together. Let it come to fruition, but he's an evil weeds. We need to take action, God's judgment is going to come but is going to come. Jesus is saying that you notice it at the end of the age you as followers of Jesus Christ. We often get upset and rightly so, with evil weeds around us to think of devil is sowing evil weeds in the United States. So any evidence that NMA is a work open your eyes, listen to the news of all the evil it goes on yes and not on the contrary, in our own city and out on the world. We don't like. As followers of Jesus. Some of the political and legal decisions are made in our nation more and more the word of God is being ignored, not only ignored but sometimes walked moral and spiritual standards.

The client and we get very upset sometimes we get very angry and we want to all of the weeds and pull it all of the evil is aware from our culture when you can learn something very very important that we who are sons of the kingdom are not anarchists were not rebels were not insurrectionist's German allies. There were people who attacked the Congress and they had types of scriptures and some of them call themselves patriotic Christians. Let me say that is inconsistent with being a follower of Jesus Christ we follow Christ we who follow Christ are not anarchists were not insurrectionist. Yes, we do stand against evil. Of course we are we to be bold would to be firm. Jesus is ready talk weird to be lights and we are to be salt that is true but remember there's brothers is. It is God who judges the evil decisively and eternally. What's happening in the present age.

This is the age of grace. This is the age of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And Peter tells us in his second epistle. Yes, there's always binoculars by listening to this, the Lord is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance does our holy God. See the evil going on in our world. Yes, he does does our holy God seating evil in your heart yes he does. Does our holy God seating evil going on in our city and in our nation and with some of the decisions of our politicians and the decisions of our courts as God see that doesn't grieve him. Of course it does is holy is righteous, but I'm too crazy. God's patience.

God being patient with you. The dog immediately wipe your eyes because of your sin that God immediately judge you because you rebelled against his law know God is patient. This is the age of grace. This is the age when we as followers of Jesus Christ are two exhibits the fruit of the spirit which includes patience and love and gentleness, nor were not spiritual when it's we take a strong stand against evil, but it is not followers of Jesus to go around forcibly pulling out the weeds. The kingdom of God. The kingdom of heaven does not grow through violence, it does not grow through rebellion, it does not grow through insurrection member Chuck Colson the hatchet man in the White House when when Nixon was president and then marvelously converted to Jesus Christ, and after I came here 15 years ago there was a conference and and and the privilege of of hearing Chuck Colson writes what I'm standing and Chuck Colson like to say and he was someone who knew about political power and you about the.

The evil of the power and absolute file. He liked to say that the kingdom of God wasn't the kingdom of God will never arrive on Air Force One together today we have some Christians who seem by the reaction to think that the kingdom of heaven in the kingdom of God is going to come on Air Force One know it will never do that. History tells us don't live to any president look to IK nor parliament or Congress or the Supreme Court or any political party to usher in the kingdom of God that will never ever ever happened. Jesus says listen to my kingdom is not of this world is my kingdom where of this world, my servants would have been fighting what happens to her Savior. When evil men take on long can who, when he was reviled, reviled not again when he suffered, he threatened not know he commits himself to the righteous judge, will God hold these evil men to a kind of course Econ but we as sons and daughters of the kingdom part of the kingdom of God, not a political kingdom, not national kingdom, something far greater. Something far grander that as followers of Jesus Christ.

We are sons of the kingdom of God is good to divide the wheat from the weeds wearable will mobile debt that will guide great presidents, Pres. Trumbull do it. Present by the Madrid present abominable did not will get another prize and then he will do that and only one only one God will notice what Jesus says in verses 40 and 41 is going to send his reapers celestial reapers angels from heaven and they will gather the weeds freshwater, just as the weeds were gathered and burned with fire, so it will be when with a change of political power.

Of course not the end of the age, the Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather right of his kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers and throw them into the fire department is in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. That's fearsome and remind you just because God's judgment isn't carried out immediately, does not mean the judgment is not coming. God is not mocked with a man sows, he rapes your personal life you deliberately rebelled against God in his savings that God is overlooking your first something on the grace of God using because God is not accepted, you can get off without absolutely not God's righteous God is holy. John think that judgment is going to come of course is going to come but it will come at the end of the age. A notice verse 42 is a judgment of fire as we believe it covered church. We believe in eternal punishment. We believe in the lake of fire. We believe that those who rebel against God, who reject Jesus Christ will be thrown into the lake of fire. Listen to Paul your Bible that you intend to with me. Second Thessalonians is he talks about this second Thessalonians 1 verse seven and to grant well everything from verse five.

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which are also suffering. Suffering in the first century. Since indeed God considers that considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire same pictures we have in the parable of the evil weeds being burned inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, they will suffer punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of these might when he comes on that day the end of the age to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who believe. Because our testimony to you was believed judgment coming yes is coming judgment of God is coming. Now is the gospel of grace now is a preacher of the gospel. I offered price you will save you you very give you your transform you receive them repent and believe in the gospel but also toward you.

If you don't she choose to continue the hard hard to rebel visit was not from New York. Maybe one day, deathbed I'll get right with God. I have to warn you that God's judgment comes and it is eternal is eternal destruction and contrasted. You know this is a beautiful description invest 42 of the righteous, righteous, no not another self-righteous those who are declared righteous through the grace of God and who are living righteous lives, demonstrating the reality of their faith. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of the father. He was ears, let him hear. If you know your Bible reminds you that is needed of Daniel 12 verse three when Daniel talks of those who will shine like the stars margin that sons of the kingdom, shining like the sun in the kingdom of her father shining forever and ever. With the glory and majesty and beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a contrast eternal destruction or being forever with the Lord. What a brilliant sector on on ending future. We have sons of the King and others very quickly. The other two parables that I read in Matthew chapter 13 is a second main point of the kingdom of heaven. It begins in a small and seemingly insignificant way is a great future but you love these two little particles. The kingdom of heaven begins in a very small way.

Yes like a monster seats a grain of mustard seed Ironman takes an sows of these failed. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when is growing is larger than all the garden plants in fact becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air, and make nests in his branches as a mustard seed, then the smallest, most insignificant see proverbial for his smallness and this planted grows and grows and grows and becomes a plan that can be as much is 15 feet high so much to give shelter to the birds but is beginning a small's beginning is insignificant or verse 33. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven a piece of yeast is aware that the woman takes and hides in three measures of flour till it was all leavened and by just a little leaven on the delete use that word measure is I read as a translation of a term referring to 16 times so she measures total about 48 times you might say a bread is a lot of bread.

I love bread but I didn't forget that these a lot of people, but the begins very very small little piece of leaven, but it grows in the something lowered something insignificant, something significant. Rather, something which blesses a lot of people get the pine with these two parables low mustard seed little piece of leaven was applying from a small and seemingly insignificant beginning. The kingdom of God grows and grows and grows and has a magnificent future.

Think of the beginning of his garden through time and space born are saved and not in a palace stable later in the manger, not in a small timing of of Bethlehem, he goes up in Nazareth, which was despised by the people living in an large times they don't.

Nazareth was was kind of Hicksville you know unsophisticated people born in the little time Bethlehem grows up in Nazareth is no money.

He's noble the death of the Messiah on a crossing the very opposite of the conquering and triumphant cane but in the small and insignificant way. The kingdom of God begins from a very very small beginning the gospel spreads and spreads and spreads Lord doesn't have in this. The signs on the apostles, whether they told to do to take a message.

Beginning Jerusalem go further into Judea and Samaria.

I wanted to go to the remotest part of the world a very small beginning, but the full effect grows and grows and grows and grows and continues to grow. To this day so that we we can calculate how many offending fathers of Jesus Christ. There are places like the former Soviet Union ordering and trying to North Korea the kingdom of God grows and grows, and though I realize you because the world missing the evilest time. It seems that the pilot and the influence today is with governments as with big business owners with Hollywood universities on that the media and those who reject garden and we we seem so powerless. Sometimes the charge in a way we can we say what what can we do when all of this evil is going on Jesus saying don't measure the importance and power of the kingdom of heaven from its small insignificant and seemingly weak. God's kingdom darting through the centuries continues to grow, often quietly often start delay, but let me tell you ever resisted and while God's kingdom today may seem puny compared with the kingdoms of the world. One day is going to fill the whole universe. It starts small but has a great in the glorious and an eternal future residual 17 talks of the dividend couldn't kingdom think of King David made it come from painfully youngest of his brothers brothers seem seem stronger, better leader than than than the cane. David McDavid is selected from that insignificant beginning. The Davidic kingdom comes in Ezekiel 17 says is like a little spring is like a little twig of a tree and it becomes bigger and bigger until it becomes like one of the deficit cedars of Lebanon solving the many birds will nests Ezekiel saves the Lord is saying with the parable of the mustard seeds from that little seat grows a tree which is so big that the birds nations of the world finds that comfort in their salvation points the kingdom of God is powerful. The kingdom of God is Sefton and the kingdom of God has on on stoppable future on this matter. When you see the evil of course more and lament products praying for God to bring righteous and wise leaders.

Of course we pray for that.

Pray for wise judges who understand what a judge is meant to do is continue to pray for thy than be involved in that God galls God's people to be politicians and lawyers and judges, and in the media and in every place of life to bring his grace to be salt and light. Yes that is true, but when there is opposition.

Remember this that small insignificant beginning with all of the opposition with all of the evil seeds being planted that the kingdom of card grows and grows and grows in Daniel chapter 2. That is the vision of all of these members big vision with all of the kingdoms and Daniel prophesies of installing a small stone which calms and strikes the kingdoms of the world, and it smashes them and destroys the kingdom, the kingdoms of the world.

All of them from that little stone and that little stone then becomes among 10 and eventually fill the whole world Daniel to write it for a while Rita this afternoon and then Daniel says this and in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people it shall break in pieces. All these kingdoms and bring them to an end and it will stand forever stamp you part of the eternal kingdom trust everyone of us was going on Lifestream and Facebook sitting here in the center of trust that each one of us is part of the kingdom is a joint, I can be part of the kingdom entrance into the kingdom of God is through Christ is the way the truth is I is that he's the door is the good Shepherd is the Savior come to Christ humbly coming from your sins. Confessing is looking to Christ on the cross died for your sins paid the price for your sins, rose again and is alive in Jesse's coming back. Paul says that magnificent Lord Jesus has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's beloved son was then the kingdom of darkness. Judgment is coming that kingdom will not sign if you're a follower of Jesus Christ every day of fresh powder to the authority of the King of Kings and Lord of lords. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and to evil world display and proclaim Jesus for his kingdom.

His kingdom the kingdom of God kingdom of heaven. His kingdom stands. Praise God for such a king.

Each one of us be part of the kingdom, but optional. As we close you are you headed when you confess your sins we would to Christ asking to Savior to forgive him the Vincent Christ stands and says come to me. The rest come to Christ. Though his forgiveness receive eternal life. Father, we bow before you. We thank you for your kingdom. Sometimes we despair is really cut in the world.

Sometimes we think were so ineffective. Think of her Sunday school teachers think of our missionaries think of our students at college.

Think of those in the marketplace signaled for Christ and its sometimes tough sometimes very difficult and often we wonder if what we're doing is making any impact thank you for this reminder of the kingdom of heaven is Croix often quietly but is growing steadily, and it will never ever be of assistance. So today we reaffirm our hope in Christ that we are people of hope that our hope is not in this world is not in this kingdom whether hope is in the Lord from this time for me. That could possibly do encourage us as we seek to display and proclaim the Lord Jesus in his name we pray