Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• The parable of the wheat and the tares
• We are reminded that the devil is very active in this world
• Ultimately the devil wants to destroy God's world
• The evil servants come in quietly and seductively in the night to sow tares
• The good servants will wait until the day of reaping to remove the tares and burn them
• Wait for the day of Judgment - we are not to purify God's Kingdom
• We live in a society that is increasing intolerant of biblical Christianity
• Jesus is the only way to God
• Overview:
• The Nature of God's Kingdom
• We are not to try and purify God's Kingdom
• The King will be vindicated

The Nature of God's Kingdom

• v24, with explanation in v37
• The field - the world
• The sower - is Christ
• Christ is still sowing and there are still people being converted
• This parable is different to the parable of the sower
• The good seed - the sons of the Kingdom
• The tares - the sons of the devil
• The harvest - the end of the age
• The reapers - the angels
• God's Kingdom is mixed
• Roman law prohibited sowing tares in fields
• God's church/people is not mixed
• The 'visible' church is mixed - i.e. not all who come to Church are converted
• God's Kingdom is larger than the Church - He has power over all situations and creation itself
• His Kingdom is principally found amongst His Church
• His power is not limited to the Church
• We cannot 'Christianise' the world
• We cannot withdraw from the world
• We are called to live in the world (wheat amongst the tares)
• This must have been difficult for the disciples to understand
• There will be cults and counterfeit Christianity
• Sometimes they can look very similar, almost indistinct
• There are all forms of counterfeit Christianity
• The devil seeks to confuse God's people and twist the truth
• We must not hold onto tradition
• Isa 2:3b-4a - God will return and judge all nations

We are not to try and purify God's Kingdom

• This is God's work
• The servants wanted to pull up the tares (v28)
• God will preserve His own
• Christians preach and live the gospel
• Christians can fear
• Christians should never take up arms (of their own)
• We have to admit to mistakes the church has made (e.g. the Reformation)
• We are not to moralise the world
• Do we expect Christian behaviour from non-Christians?
• Are we seen as those who are mere Victorian moralists?
• Are we seen as those who love the Lord Jesus?
• We need to be careful what the world is 'hearing' about us
• Do not be overzealous
• Luke 9:49 - be careful when you are sanctioning
• Luke 9:53-56 - have compassion and pray for them, the Son of Man has come to save and not destroy
• Jesus - with Judas
• David - with Saul
• It is not always easy for Christians
• Sometimes we can make problems for ourselves
• We are to pray, love our enemy, realise that Christ will vindicate you
• Being the only wheat amongst tares
• God is being longsuffering and giving men and women opportunity for repentance
• We are to live the Godly Christian life and preach the gospel

The King will be Vindicated

• v39-43
• These verses are difficult - have you really stopped to think about them?
• It doesn't bare thinking about
• But this it the fate of the unbeliever
• 2 Thess 1:6-9
• Have these verses registered in our hearts - have we run to Jesus Christ?
• There is hope
• The Christian is the wheat
• The Christian is righteous - because God has made us righteous (we are sinful)
• Heaven is a place of glory, hope and beauty
• 2 Thess 1:10a
• Example of Emrys
• Are you on the broad path to destruction or the narrow path to salvation?
• You may feel the world encroaching, but it is a wonderful life to be on the narrow path to heaven

Death can take us at anytime - trust in Christ today