After Matthew chapter 13 this morning is the mysteries of the kingdom.
Matthew chapter 13 is a very interesting chapter in that it is the chapter that has the most
concentrated amount of parables out of all of the chapters of the gospels.
As the most in fact it has about seven to eight parables, eight if you consider the
last portion a parable doesn't necessarily say that it is but it kind of functions
as one he's still using it as an illustration but for the sake of the
sermon we're going to go over at least the first six and I've already preached
through the first parable which is the parable of the seed and the sower. It's
very interesting parable that essentially demonstrates that the Word of God
which is the seed is sown into various hearts. We see four types of hearts that
the seed is sown and this essentially represents the way people receive the
Word of God and out of those four three actually get saved but out of those three
only one actually bears fruit and so that is the first parable. Look at verse
24 now let me give you some introductory statements before we get into the
actual parables themselves. First and foremost what is a parable? Well in other
portions of the gospels we have it being spoken of as a dark saying meaning
that it is obscure okay meaning that it's somewhat enigmatic meaning that
the Lord Jesus Christ is illustrating a spiritual truth through a story and
he's not necessarily divulging all the information or the interpretation
thereof to the multitudes. Why? Because there's instances where people who are
listening to the parable don't I'm not really interested in hearing the Word
of God. They're not really interested in obeying the Word so God gives them a
parable a dark saying and keeps them in a purity. He keeps them in
confusion and he gives the interpretation to his disciples and in fact
you're in verse 24 look at verse number 35 if you would verse 34 excuse me says
all these things speak Jesus unto the multitude in parables and without a
parable speak he not unto them that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the prophet saying I will open my mouth in parables I will utter things
which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world and so
sometimes he's just preaching to them in parables given these illustrations
later on as disciples would come and say hey what exactly does that mean and he
would open that interpretation. Now this is showing us that if we really want
the truth we'll get the truth because quite frankly what's stopping the
multitude from coming to Jesus and saying hey you gave this illustration
I don't really understand it can you divulge the info to me the truth to
me can you give me the interpretation thereof but obviously many of them
didn't the only people who actually came to Jesus after he preached the parables
were the disciples themselves so this shows us that if we really want the
truth if we really want the interpretation of the Bible God will
give it to us if you really want it so I don't understand the Bible it's
because you don't want to understand the Bible now obviously there's
instances where it takes years of studying the Word of God and getting
these deep meanings of the Bible in order to understand the interpretation
thereof but in general if you hunger for truth if you want the truth if you
have an appetite for the truth if you seek after it if you pray for it you
knock on the door for it you ask for it God will give it to you because he wants
you to have the truth and so he kind of puts out the parable just to kind
of wet the appetite of the multitude and whoever wants the truth can have
it but they just have to come through Jesus and get the interpretation
through him another thing I want to mention here is that when we talk
about the kingdom of God what is that referring to well the kingdom of God is
synonymous with the kingdom of heaven these are not mutually exclusive they're
basically used interchangeably in the Gospels and really it could be referring
to a variety of things okay it can talk about for example salvation it can be
talking about the gospel or it can simply be talking about God's economy
on how the spiritual world works for the believer it can be referring to the
rewards we get when we get to heaven okay this is essentially what the kingdom
of God and the kingdom of heaven is referring to and this is something we're
going to see in this particular sermon look at verse 26 if you would I'm sorry
verse 24 it says another parable put he forth unto them saying the kingdom of
heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field but while
men slept his enemy came and so tears among the wheat and went his way so
this is the parable of the tears among the wheat another way of saying tear is
essentially a weed okay and the problem with weeds is that it looks exactly like
a wheat okay and this is the problem we're actually seeing here in the
parable look at verse 26 it says but when the blade it was sprung up and brought
forth fruit then appeared the tears also so the servant of the householder came
and said unto him sir this not thou so good seed in thy field from Winston hath
it tears he said unto them an enemy hath done this the servants said unto him
wilt out them that we go and gather them up but he said name less while you
gather up the tears ye root up also the wheat with them so we hate the
parable that we're seeing here is that a man a farmer is sowing seeds in
wheat but while it is produced tears come up also weeds come up also and it's
mixed in with the wheat so the servants come and they're kind of shocked at this
they're just like hey I thought you sow good seed he says I did but the enemy
must have sowed in bad seed and now look at the solution here he says in verse
30 let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I
will say to the reapers gather you together first the tears bind them in
bundles to burn them but gather the reed the wheat into my barn skip down to verse
36 where we have the interpretation of the parable it says here verse 36 Jesus
sent into the multitude excuse me Jesus sent the multitude away and went into
the house and his disciples came unto him saying declare unto us the parable
of the tears of the field he answered and said to them he that sowed the
good seed is the son of man the field is the world the good seed are the
children of the kingdom but the tears are the children of the wicked one what's
interesting about this is the the parable previous to this one is the parable of
the seed in the sower and the seed represents the word of God whereas in
this parable the seed actually represents saved people children of God okay
and it specifically says here that God is the one who planted them he's the
one that sowed these seeds he's the one that planted them and of course the
tears as it says here are the children of the wicked one now what does that
refer to exactly what does it mean to be a child of the wicked one this isn't
just referring to just unsafe people in general okay and in fact when you
study the New Testament this is also found in the old but more specifically
and in depth in the new you actually find a variety of labels for unsafe
people okay obviously we know that safe people are referred to as the
children of God you know the children of the kingdom but when it comes to unsafe
people they're often referred to as children of disobedience children of
wrath the Bible says right we see this in Ephesians chapter 2 you have the
quicken who were dead in trespasses and sin wherein in time past he walked
according to the course of this world according to the prince of power the
air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience now why
does it call unsafe people children of disobedience well because of the
fact that we disobey God's laws okay you know the carnal mind is not subject to
God neither indeed or is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be
according to Romans chapter number eight okay but the Bible also calls unsafe
people children of wrath why because an unsafe person is under the wrath of God
John 3 36 says he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life listen to this but the wrath of God
abideeth on him so there are essentially people we were that people that were
under God's wrath because of our disobedience to God this doesn't mean
we're without hope right God is not willing that any should perish but
that all should come to repentance and God commands all men everywhere to
repent and what that means is that he wants people to come to the saving
knowledge of Jesus Christ he wants him to stop placing their faith in their
works their dead works and place their faith in Jesus Christ exclusively for
salvation at which point you become a child of God you know the Bible says in
John 1 12 but as many as received him to them gave you power to become the
sons of God even unto them that believe on his name for Sean chapter 3 verse 1
says behold what banner of love the Father have bestowed upon us that we
should be called the sons of God so in the New Testament we find safe people
being referred to as the children of God through faith in Christ unsafe people
are referred to as children of disobedience children of wrath or simply
this the natural man right first Corinthians chapter 2 says but the
natural man listen to this receive it's not the things of the Spirit of God
for their foolishness unto him unto him neither can he know them because
they're spiritually discerned now why does the Bible call the unsafe
person a natural man well because he is absent of the supernatural he doesn't
have the new man abiding within him he doesn't have the Spirit of God abiding
within him therefore according to biblical standards he is a natural man
without God okay he's without God without Christ in the world he is
alien from the Commonwealth of Israel and so forth and so and by the way
you know side note here this is why we should never go to unsafe people to
in the Bible she never will listen to unsafe preachers you know on unsafe
people who try to interpret the Bible why because the natural man receive it's not
the things of the Spirit of God they can't understand it and look folks and
I'm talking about people who claim to be Christians I'm talking about people who
claim to be saved we got to know what they believe about salvation just
because they talk about Jesus they talk about the Bible they claim to teach
doctrine they went to a seminary they went to a Bible college doesn't mean
they're saved you say well how do you know they're saved if they believe in the
right gospel which is salvation by grace through faith alone plus nothing minus
nothing if there's a pastor out there that does not hold to the biblical
doctrine of justification according to biblical standards that person's not
saved how can you just say that people are not saved the Bible does it all
the time it literally holds the standard gives us the standard of what
it means to be saved if a person does not meet that standard it automatically
means they're not saved in God's eyes and they shouldn't we should not consider
them saved as well okay and so there's children of wrath there's children of
disobedience okay but then you have a separate category known as the
children of the devil the children of the wicked one okay now you think
you know I've heard of the children of the devil that sounds familiar you
know obviously we often associate that with John 844 ye are of your father the
devil the less of your father when you do when Jesus Christ was preaching against
the Jews and it's very much accurate to say that that's what applies to but in
its primary context who is he saying this to he's saying this to false
teachers he's saying this to the Pharisees who were Jews right and he's
saying that they're the children of the devil okay this is referring to a
person who has been exposed to the truth they've been exposed to the right
gospel and they still refuse it okay now there's various names for these types of
people as we see here they're called the children of the wicked one and John 844
children of the devil in the Old Testament the common label is sons of
Belial daughters of Belial men of Belial Bible also uses the term
reprobate in order to describe these individuals and what does reprobate
mean it means someone who is beyond the hope of salvation you say are you saying
that there's people that can no longer be saved that's exactly what I'm saying
okay and it's not the majority of the population this is referring to
individuals who've been exposed there they've been in close proximity to the
truth they've rejected it and become aggressively antagonistic towards the
truth and towards Christ therefore God makes them a reprobate and the Bible
even says we see it in Matthew 13 that they they close their eyes they close
their ears lest they should be converted and then in John chapter 12 it says that
God is the one who closes their eyes God is the one who closes their ears why
because their rejection of the truth is so severe is so brazen that God ends
up aiding them and their rejection of the truth as well by giving them a
reprobate mind according to Roman chapter 1 so it's important for us to
make the distinction between these groups what we're looking at here in Matthew
13 when it says that Satan sowed the children of the wicked okay these
tears is not referring to just unsafe people it's referring to godless
reprobates children of the devil okay and you're like man I just that's
crazy you said some people can't get saved well obviously we believe that a
lot of people get saved because we're an evangelistic church that does our
due diligence to go out and preach the gospel we're just saying that the
Bible explicitly teaches that there are certain group of people that cannot be
saved not because they were born that way because no one is born not being able to
be saved salvation is made available to all okay but they are made reprobate
later on if they choose to reject the truth to such an extent that they
become enemies of the cross of Christ as the Bible puts it okay so when he
says here the field is the world the good seed are the children of the
kingdom but the tears of the children of the wicked one we have a major
contrast here between righteous save people and then the wicked one which are
reprobates okay very extreme sides of the pendulum here right of the spectrum he
says of verse 39 the enemy that sowed them is the devil the harvest is the
end of the world and the reapers are the angels as therefore the tears are
gathered and burned into the fire so shall I be in the end of the world so
let me give you the primary interpretation of this parable and then we're
going to get into some secondary applications to it okay now in general
I've often interpreted this parable to simply mean that Satan comes and he
sows tears in churches and different Christian organizations and that's
very much a reliable interpretation a secondary reliable interpretation let me
give you the primary application of this because it specifically tells us
when this happens it says that it takes place when in the end of the
world okay and it says here that the reapers who are the angels gather the
with the children of the wicked and then they are cast into the furnace to be
burned the furnace is obviously referring to hell okay now if you know
anything about end times Bible prophecy you know that this specifically
takes place after the millennial reign of Jesus Christ at the what after the
battle of Gog and Magog at the white throne judgments okay so I submit to you
that this parable of the tear sewn among the wheat is actually referring to the
millennial reign of Jesus Christ because you have the children of the kingdom
in the millennial reign but then you also have children of the wicked in the
millennial reign as well say how do you know because at the end of those
thousand years you have Satan being released right from the bottomless pit
and then he goes to deceive the nations he gathers them together in order to
fight against Christ and against his people and what happens to them well
obviously they lose really bad okay you know it's like Conor McGregor are
trying to kick you know it was one of those it was just no it was just
really it's just it's an embarrassing moment for the devil and his children
okay you know basically they go and they surround the holy city and fire comes
down and consumes them and destroys them and what happens there after you have
the white throne judgment where the reapers who are the angels gather them
and then they're cast into the lake of fire look what it goes on to say in verse
number 42 again it says and shall cast them into the furnace of fire there
shall be weeping excuse me there should be wailing and gnashing of teeth
that is a phrase is commonly used to describe the lake of fire right hell but
I want you to notice verse 43 then shall the righteous shine forth as the son
where in the kingdom of their father you see the millennial reign is the
kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ but after the millennial reign he gives
the kingdom unto who the father and therefore after the millennial reign
after the white throne judgment the children of the kingdom go into the
kingdom of the father referring to what the new heaven and the new earth okay so
what the Bible is telling us here is that even amongst them in the millennial
reign where politics is on our side we have Jesus Christ as the king right we
have the most righteous individual that could ever exist on this world ruling
with the rod of iron executing you know great policies great laws everything is
just awesome it's a utopian society for Christians even then you have the children
of the wicked one you see the principle here is that it's not until sin is
just completely removed out of the picture is everything fine and dandy it
doesn't matter who you get into the white house who you get into the
government who you get as a mayor who you get as a politician the society is
always going to be corrupt why because sin is always present because the problem
is not politics actually that is a major problem but you know the
problem the major problem the main problem is sin we live in a corruptible
world okay and to prove that you have Jesus Christ ruling for a thousand
years and yet after those thousand years you still have idiots they're
yeah I think we could take Jesus I think we can I think we got a chance even
though a thousand years prior my friends listen to me a thousand years prior to
that you have what the battle of Armageddon where the Antichrist and his
false prophet and their armies fight against Jesus Christ and his armies
coming from the clouds and they get smoked and it's not even like it's
not even close like the Lord just comes down and snatches their souls and he
just throws them into hell and then he just he just mercs everyone I mean the
Bible literally says that the blood was to the bridle of the horses how about
that I mean it's a major slaughter there's just no chance okay but yet a
thousand years later the descendants of these individuals the children of the
wicked one think that they can actually handle Christ and destroy
them they're under such a strong delusion which by the way a strong delusion is a
characteristic of the wicked one God gives them strong delusions he gives them
that they should believe a lie and be damned the Bible says and so we have
here a parable that's really demonstrating what's going to take
place in the end of the world this is what it's referring to now go back
to verse 25 if you would now how do we apply this like well I'm not even
I mean I'm gonna be their pastor but how's that applicable to me like you were
gonna be the millennial we're already saved well this is how we can apply it
because this really applies throughout all ages because tears are being sown in
this world throughout all generations right and we can apply to our church
we can apply to churches in general we can apply to the world that Satan is
constantly sowing the wicked amongst the righteous he says in verse 26 and here's
why that's dangerous but when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit
then appeared the tears also now what's the problem with you like well just
remove the tears if there's false profit just remove it well here's the
problem they look like the wheat though I mean the Bible says in Matthew
chapter 7 that false prophets are like sheep are like wolves that with sheep's
clothing you know second Timothy chapter 3 says that they have a form of
godliness but they deny the power there okay meaning that they look like talk
like act like a believer the weed looks like the wheat okay and when it
brings I mean when it springs up even the blade that it has looks like a
blade of a wheat meaning that you know Satan plants these people to look exactly
like Christians to look exactly like believers now the first thing we need to
take away from that is that we need to make sure we don't live in La La Land
and in this fantasy world where this is not a reality okay you need to
understand folks that we live in such a godless and wicked world and there
are children of the wicked one in this world and you know what they want
to infiltrate churches they do infiltrate churches they take advantage of
the innocent they destroy righteous people they seek to destroy righteous
churches they seek to destroy organizations and you can't just turn a
blind eye and say well I just don't think that will happen in our time then
you know what you're an absolute idiot just trying to be I'm trying to be
nice to you because the Bible specifically tells us the tears are sewn
among the wheat and we can't just say well that not here though well you know
what as much as I preach the Bible as much as I preach against false prophets I
guarantee you we will have tears in in the wheat here in this congregation one
day if not already there's all look folks Judas was among the 12 he's a
child of the wicked one look at verse 27 again it says so the servant of the
household that came and said sir it's not thou so good seed and I field
from whence then half the tears so it's funny he's like well the server comes
like hey how can this be like didn't you so good seed like it's almost like he's
given this backhanded common here and it's not like the seed was bad the
Lord is sowing good seed but there's two reasons why the wicked are sewn
amongst the tears number one is that I'll be honest with you sometimes good
seed produces the children of the wicked yes that's true so how so the
reason people become reprobates is because they're exposed to the truth and
they reject the truth this is what's commonly referred to as an apostate
someone who you know goes to a Bible-believing church they're exposed
to the truth of God's word they're exposed to the gospel they even claim
to make a profession of faith but in here they don't really believe it they
go along to get along they play along and they will they will remain
in that congregation for years on and just completely reject in the preaching
of God's word acting like they believe it but they actually don't you know God
does he makes them an apostate is what he does go to Hebrew chapter 6 let's go
to Hebrew chapter 6 so again when we talk about the children of the wicked we
are referring to false prophets we are referring to children of the devil
referring to sons of Belial as it says in the Old Testament but we're
also referring to reprobates Hebrew chapter 6 is a fantastic chapter to
teach this biblical doctrine of apostasy okay and this is a chapter ironically that
apostates will use to teach you can lose your salvation the fine iron okay let's
see what it actually teaches verse 1 of Hebrew 6 it says therefore leaving the
principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on into perfection not laying
again the foundation of repentance from dead works and a faith toward God of the
doctrine of baptisms and of the laying on of hands and of resurrection of the dead
and of eternal judgment so let me stop real quick and give you a synopsis of
what we just read Apostle Paul states here that eventually we have to leave
the principles of the doctrines of Christ this doesn't mean like leave them
indefinitely it means we need to grow from that the principles of the
doctrines of Christ are the foundational fundamental beliefs of the
Christian faith right salvation is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian
faith but eventually we got to move on from that and learn other stuff in the
Bible right the deeper things of God and he lays a lot of foundational doctrines
here in verses 1 and 2 and he says you know let us go on into perfection what
does perfection mean means completeness maturity let's leave these
fundamental doctrines and let's go ahead and learn other deep things of
the word of God this is what it means to grow in grace listen to this and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ it should be your goal that you
don't just learn about salvation baptism eternal damnation and judgment
you should seek to move beyond that and learn the deeper things of God's word
right and the Bible tells us that the spirit searches all things listen to
this yay the deep things of God so he says leave in the principles let us go
on into perfection but look what it says in verse 3 in this we will do we will
move on to perfection listen to this if God permit meaning that there's a
possibility with some people that God will not allow them to go on to
perfection why because they're apostates because if a person is in
church learning about salvation and they don't believe salvation then
guess what they can't learn anything else they've rejected the
fundamentals of the Christian faith and therefore God will not allow them to
proceed any further and look make no mistake about it you know false prophets
and apostates they can learn information they know how to repeat
information they can repeat and memorize Bible characters and timelines and
chronologies of the word of God that's very much a thing of course you
can't but as far as the deep things of God the things that the spirit can
only reveal they can't get that because they're not saved because the Bible
says that the natural man receive it not the things of the spirit of God so he
says this what we do if God permit look at verse 4 for it is impossible for
those who are once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the
powers of the world to come if they shall fall away now fall away is a
very important phrase there two words that means apostasy that's literally where
we get our word apostasy from from the original language to fall away means if
they apostasize if they go apostate it's impossible look what it says to
renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucified to themselves the son
of God afresh and put him to an open shame so it says if a person just
deviates from the doctrines of Christ if he deviates from salvation from the
divinity of Jesus Christ from the authority of the Bible if he deviates
and transgresses the doc transgresses the doctrines of Christ it's impossible to
get this person saved you say why I thought everyone had a chance I'll
tell you why because the reason they're in that situation to begin with is
that they rejected the first principles of the doctrines of Christ how
can you get this person saved if the reason they're in that situation to begin
with is because they rejected those doctrines that's called an apostate and
look you know obviously all of us to a certain degree maybe we fought against
the truth or we didn't have a full understanding of the truth like it was
just kind of going over our heads I mean folks I remember before I was
saved hearing the gospel I remember people giving me the gospel I remember
saying things that were in you know in lock step with the gospel but in my
heart I didn't quite understand it and it wasn't until years after that you know
people were sowing the seed and watering the ground and praying for me and being
exposed to a soul winner that I was just like the light bulb went on I was
like oh I get it oh it's right there all along like it's just by faith and
then I got saved and it's just like can you lose yourself you can't lose
your salvation it's just like ding I mean I literally remember literally
remember asking someone like what if what if you do something really bad can't
you lose your salvation and an assistant pastor said no he said the Bible says
for my grace are you safe through faith that not of yourselves it is the
gift of God not of worth sustaining mansion boast and you just walked away
and I was just like oh yeah like that's true it's just the light bulb
went on I understood the gospel that's not who we're talking about we're
talking about someone who understands that and says yeah they're literally on
the brink of salvation they're in close proximity to the truth and they choose
not to step over and believe it they just say no I'm just gonna remain here
now you say well do they really become apostate well what if they stay there
for years what if they get themselves up they get their their their
hindered parts up every single Sunday morning to come to church and hear
preaching that they don't believe what if they actually go with the church to go
evangelize and go preach things that they don't believe then you got yourself a
problem this is a person who makes a mockery of the truth because they don't
believe it there's people like that well Judas Iscariot literally was
involved in the ministry of Jesus Christ for three and a half years and I
guarantee you he was preaching the gospel all the while not believing it what
happens to that person they become apostate it's impossible to renew them
again into repentance they've crossed the line and now they are children of the
wicked one so you know what to a certain degree yes go back to Matthew 13 to a
certain degree yes you know the word of God can do that because the word of
God illuminates does it not it illuminates us to the truth it shines
forth the truth in our hearts it shines forth the truth of the gospel but listen
to me if an unsafe person looks at that light a little too long without
believing it it can blind them it can just completely sear their conscience and
blind them the word of God is super powerful it's so powerful that it can
save your soul but may I say this it's so powerful that if you mock it it'll
damn your soul as well because of your rejection of truth and you think
yourself man I just can't see how someone can do that I know you can't
because you're saved like when we talk about salvation being a gift is like
how would you reject why would you reject the give I don't know bro like I
don't know why people would do that it's just beyond me I don't understand
that but there are people in this world that do that I mean the Bible dedicates
a lot of content talking about these individuals who do so and you know a
proper label for them is the children of the wicked okay he says in verse 28 again
an enemy has done this the servant sent into him what about then do we go and
gather them up so one way that you get children of the wicked is because the
word of God just makes people that way because they just reject it God's not
God's not mocked for whatsoever man so it that's how we also reap and look
folks you know the Bible talks about in Proverbs chapter 1 you know there
comes a time when people would just not be corrected it would not be reproved and
then there's gonna come a time where they call upon him and he's like I'm gonna
laugh at your calamity when your desolation come it as a whirlwind that's
what God said he's speaking to the children of the wicked so sometimes the
wicked are produced in churches but sometimes the wicked are just produced
outside of church where they just hate God and then Satan uses them as
agents of Satan amongst churches organizations political realms and he
sews the tears among the wheat in order to corrupt and order to cause
confusion and order to cause strife and all types of issues and problems so the
servant in verse 28 says why don't we just go and gather them up we'll just
go and you know gather them up and we'll just throw them in the fire but
I want you to notice what it says in verse 29 he said nay less while you
gather up the tears you root up also the wheat with them what does that mean
exactly well what this is referring to is the fact that you know the danger for
example if we're to apply this to a church and maybe there's tears in the
church what is the danger this well the danger is this if you're if you
believe that there's tears in the church okay and you have this paranoia
that there's tears in the church then you know everything looks like a nail
because you have a hammer then you're gonna start calling people reprobate
that are not reprobate and in doing so in your with your intention to root up the
tears you end up taking some wheat with you as well why because they look
exactly the same the tears look like the wheat and you know what I'll be
honest sometimes we they're not apostates or anything like that but if
they're spiritually immature they can act dumb sometimes and then another
spiritually immature person who just wants to get rid of the tears might
root up the wheat also what is the principle here we can't just blamely
called everyone a reprobate everyone is wicked everyone's a child of the
devil you don't know that you know God specifically said hey don't root him
up less you take the wheat also less someone who is actually a wheat ends
up getting offended because you claim that that person is a reprobate what are
we supposed to do well number one there are promises in God's word that
specifically tell us that apostates will eventually reveal themselves and this
is referring to like you know false teachers false prophets who are
actually proclaiming the word masquerading as men of God the Bible
says in 2 Timothy chapter 3 it tells us now is Janus and jamborees with
the Moses so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate
concerning the faith but then it says and these shop proceed no further meaning
that there comes a time where it's just like God doesn't allow them to
exceed a certain presence in an organization in a church before he
exposes them for being the wicked people that they are okay but let me
just be honest with you sometimes it doesn't happen
tear there's tears in this world that will literally just live and die in a
normal life span and nothing will happen to them this side of eternity it's the
way it works say why we'll look at verse 30 let both grow together until the
harvest and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers gather ye
together first the tears and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the
wheat into my barn you know why it's because God says at the end they will
be cast into the furnace you and I have a level of discernment I have to have a
level of discernment as a pastor to determine whose wheat and who's who
are tears but at the end of the day you know my understanding is very
finite in comparison to God right God knows the hearts of men he knows who
is someone who is twice dead plucked up by the roots as it says in the book of
Jude he knows who are the saved children of God and you know what he's the only
one who knows these things therefore when the time comes he's gonna send forth
his reapers he's gonna say tear tear tear tear tear wheat tear tear tear wheat
wheat tear tear tear he knows who's who he's got everyone's number and you
know what sometimes we just have to wait until the end before that's
revealed oh man but you just live in a place in a world and just be worried
about that why worry no weapon formed against the Shalprosfer you know the
Bible tells us that God is the one who protects us you know though ten thousand
shall fall at thy right side ten thousand at thy left and it shall not
come nigh unto thee you know God protects us from the devices of the
wicked we just need to make sure that we're serving God we're pleasing the
Lord that we're being delivered from the clutches of the enemy and have faith
that God will punish these people when the time comes you know going back a
couple months with the whole Epstein thing you know a lot of people losing
their minds online just like I can't believe no justice is gonna come yeah
that sucks for sure but you know what justice will come justice will come
and the amount of time that these people will spend burning an eternal
damnation is like compared to their life here their life here is a draw it's not
even a drop in a bucket it's like less than a drop in the bucket compared to
eternal damnation like I just want to see justice we all want to see justice
but the Lord the Master says let both grow together don't try to root up the
tears because you might take up some wheat as well you might end up
falsely accusing someone you might end up passing judgment on someone who's
actually not a reprobate and look I'm for sure guilty of this I'll right here
I'm guilty you know I've called people rubber and sometimes I'm like fully
convinced and obviously I'm not gonna carelessly throw that label out there
I'll base it off of substantial evidence okay and then there's other
people were just wicked people that I'm tempted to say they're reprobates
I'm like well until I know for a fact that this person is an apostate I'm not
gonna say that right now and look don't don't become so prideful and arrogant
like oh I just knew before anybody else has ever known that this person is an
absolute reprobate well you're not following the biblical standard then
you're answering a matter before you hear it and the biblical standard here
is that we're to wait according to the Bible okay let nothing be judged
before the time the Bible says and here's a safe way if you have that
opinion say you know what I think this person's a reprobate but I don't know
for sure until there's ironclad evidence that this person is an apostate
that's just my opinion but it's possible that they might be safe now look
folks there's instances where there's like no doubt right if you have some
dyke pastor at a Lutheran Presbyterian church reprobate reprobate reprobate
child of the wicked one for sure where they're promoting perversion and sodomy
and all types of abominations reprobate we don't even need to wait for this one
it's not even a wolf and she's close just a wolf wolf and wolf's clothing that's
what it is and so you know don't become so careful that you can't discern
when it's like right in front of your eyes too it's important okay what does the
parable here the parable are the tears among the wheat and the reality that we
need to accept is the fact that tears actually exist and I hate to even say
it but it is true either one either we have them now or one day we will have
tears in the church that's a fact okay and when they get exposed you can be
how did you not know how I can't believe well you know John is one of the
most godliest disciples and he didn't know either so was Peter all those guys
were legit dudes and none of them knew so don't get on people like how could you
not know I just can't believe because they look like wheat that's why they
don't they don't look like poison ivy it doesn't look bad it looks like an
actual wheat and you know what the default setting for all of us should be this
person is going in the right direction this person believes the right things or
at least claims to and we need to accept that but what if well I guess we'll have
to leave it in God's hands huh I guess we have to trust in the Lord with all
our heart don't lead into our own understanding and all our ways acknowledge
him and he will direct our paths and not worry and have all this anxiety and
care just like I don't know I just I just think chill out calm down maybe don't
need don't drink too many energy drinks get some sleep you know you're anxious
you're worried you're full of care let the peace of God rule in your heart
trust in God and you know what we are his labors we are you know his
servants at the end of the day it's his program so you know he knows if
there's tears in the church he knows if there's tears among the wheat he knows
that already and he's not gonna allow us to fall into their devices because if
we're righteous people serving God it's just not gonna happen we have that faith
in that and again you know sometimes the the the tears grown is just like
this is a tear like you're a tear you know you're like how do you know
because it's a dude dressed like a woman right it's like this is a tear kind of
pluck it out get it out but there are other instances where it's not as obvious
okay the point being here is that eventually the wicked will receive
their punishment and you know sometimes people you know even with the whole
controversy and all this stuff that's going on you know people are like man
how come these people aren't being punished yeah but you don't really you
don't really know what God has planned though and you know what a lot of these
wicked people they even boast in the fact that they're not being punished they
will they will glory in the fact that God's not punishing them they will but
all they're doing is as the Bible says treasuring up wrath against the day of
wrath they're just adding to their bank account of punishment and wrath
and you know again we may not see it actually we will see it it's just we
won't see it this side of eternity but when all these events take place in the
end of the world full justice will be served to the children of the wicked
one and so very important parable there let's go on to the next one here look
at verse 31 it says another parable put he forth unto them same the kingdom of
heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in a field
which indeed is the least of all seeds but when it is grown it is the greatest
among herbs and become at the tree so that the birds of the air come and
lodge in the branches thereof now in the first parable that we looked at the
kingdom of God is being described as a place where even tears exist kingdom of
God is a righteous portrayal of God's economy but yet even within that
righteous realm there's tears that exist there there are wicked people you know
this world is not perfect it will never be perfect until it's completely
terraformed and glorified into the new heaven and new earth in this
particular parable that Jesus Christ is talking about the kingdom of heaven
is being described as something that is very small visibly to the naked eye
but in a spiritual world it's actually very large okay he specifically says that
it's like a grain of mustard seed and I don't have a mustard seed but it's just
really tiny okay just gonna have to trust me on that it's really small now
what's interesting about this parable is that he says that it's like a grain
of mustard seed that's sown in a field but when it germinates it becomes the
greatest among herbs and becomes a tree and you say why is that interesting
well because a mustard seed does not produce a tree it's like it produces
like a shrub it could produce a bush of sorts but an actual tree that a mustard
seed does not produce that we like so what's the issue here well what this
is essentially telling us here it's teaching us exactly what the
resurrection does okay because what is the resurrection of all believers what
is the transfiguration of all creation it's when something goes into the
ground and comes out something completely different go to go to first
Corinthians chapter 15 first Corinthians chapter 15 first Corinthians
chapter 15 look down at verse number 35 if you would first Corinthians 15 and
verse 35 the Bible reads here but some man will say how are the dead raised
up and with what body do they come thou fool that which thou sowest is not
quick and except to die and that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body
that shall be but bare grain it may chance of wheat or of some other grain
but God give it a body as it has pleased him to every seed his own body
skip down to verse number 42 it says so also as the resurrection of the dead
it is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sown in dishonor it is
raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown a natural
body it is raised a spiritual body there is a natural body and there is a
spiritual body so what is the parable telling us here in Matthew chapter 13
it's essentially saying that you know don't despise how small the work of
the Lord is or how much of an impact you can make in this world don't despise
how small a church is how little of a difference you think someone is making
because at the end of the day we won't really know until the tree comes out
and really what this is showing us here go to first Corinthians chapter 1
first Corinthians chapter 1 really what this is showing us is that God
often rewards us doubly than what we've actually put into it we sow a mustard
seed which to us the mustard seed could just be everything that we have just
sowning leading people to Christ discipling people you know serving your
husband obeying your husband loving your wife raising your children
nurturing the ammunition of the Lord being a blessing in church and then
you think to yourself like man I don't know how much of a difference I
really made well I guess we'll see at the resurrection because at the
resurrection a great tree can come out and you know you're actually bigger
larger than life and this is demonstrating to us that we should judge
nothing before the time because we don't really know who the best Christian
actually is right we don't really know who's the Christian who has the most
rewards who will be blessed of the Lord like I you know the mustard seed
yeah might become a tree though I don't know so you best to just mind your own
business you know just serve the Lord instead of comparing yourself to others
instead of criticizing others labors criticizing what people do and standing
in judgment of them you better make sure you just get to work yourself because
you might find yourself in the millennial reign having a little shrub you
like you so you sold the mustard seed and then you get you get like a little
bonsai tree like is this all I get it's all you put in you know you get a tree
but it's a little it's one of those Japanese trees okay it's one of the
midget trees that just it's just there you know you don't really get
anything else and you know what the Bible talks about being least in the
kingdom of heaven too so there's no like equality in heaven the only equality
that we have is salvation through Christ but thereafter there is status in the
kingdom of heaven for a fact okay meaning that there are people that Jesus
Christ says will be greater than others and there are people who will be the
least in the kingdom of heaven there will be people who have power over the
nations and there are those who have power over an alley there'll be the
street sweepers that is an actual thing this is what the Bible tells us so you
know the principle that we can learn here is that just because the world looks
at us and despises us and thinks that we're just something small and what
impact can we make you know well here's the thing though is that we
can produce a tree look at 1st Corinthians chapter 1 and verse number
27 says but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise
and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are
mighty which are mighty and base things of the world and things that are which
are despised at God chosen yay the things which are not to bring to not
the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence the Bible
says so in other words what the Bible saying here is that God often uses the
least likely to succeed so to speak so that that person does not boast or glory
in their labors they glory in the cross of Christ who's working through them okay
go to go back to Matthew chapter 13 Matthew chapter 13 so he says the seed
here is sown it's the least of the seed but then becomes the greatest and
this is another demonstration of what Jesus Christ taught that if you want
to be the greatest you need to be a servant right if you want to be a chief
you need to be a servant here in this world not exercise your dominion as
other Gentiles do and flex on others and flex your bank account and flex your
possessions and flex your whatever it is that you have that you think makes
you great no according to the Bible be a servant be a minister and that's
what will make you great in the kingdom of God and we need to make sure you know
that we remain humble when God blesses us with possessions and finances okay step
one if God blesses you with finances he blesses you with possessions here's a
good idea don't talk about it don't brag about it that's a good way to
that's a good place to start and look some of the richest people that I've
ever met I didn't know that they're rich they were like so how's your day you
know they're not like laying it out right here don't be a rapper okay don't be a
hip-hop rapper you know trying to act like you got money when you actually
don't we know all those bills are fake okay we know you rented that car you
that mansion is an Airbnb okay that's that's not real that's not a real
millionaire okay most real millionaires don't even look like it quite honestly
okay I've met someone just like they drive up you know a rundown vehicle they
don't they just and they don't really brag about it unless we start talking
about what they do for a living and it's just like and even then they don't
tell you to have millions of dollars you're just you just kind of like okay
this this person is very wealthy this person's rich this person is you know has
a lot of money but you wouldn't know it because they don't talk about it and so
you know be the least be a minister be someone who's humble don't be someone
who just brags about everything that God has done in your life because at the
end of the day you can lose it at any given moment okay so it grows into a
tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches they're
off look at verse 33 goes on to say another parable spakey unto them the
kingdom of heaven is like until 11 which a woman took and hid in three measures of
meal till the hole was 11 and that's it so think about this you know Jesus
preaching this and he just says that and people are like what does that mean so
it's to the holes and then he just moves on like how does that even but
here's the thing folks another reason why people don't understand this because
they didn't follow whatever he was saying before or follow what he says afterwards
you know when we look at the description of leaven in the Bible as far as the
spiritual application it's often in reference to sin right we know that a
little 11 11 at the whole lump and that's a that's a great picture of sin
what sin does is that when it enters your life it can often permeate and
destroy life but also a church a little leaven comes into the church you
tolerate fornication you tolerate drunkenness you tolerate you know adultery
and railings and things of that nature it'll end up permeating the church
corrupting and destroying right but in this particular context leaven is not
referring to sin okay leaven is just a depiction of the kingdom of God and how
God wants it to spread and the entire thing okay so that the whole he says
there the whole is leaven and he specifically says that it's like a
woman who takes who takes leaven and hides it in three measures of meal now
when you look at that measurement in the Bible you often see you know for
example Abraham when he meets the three men in Genesis 18 he prepares a meal
for them and he he puts you know three measures of meal we see this
also in Judges chapter 6 and it's often just a picture of giving yourself
holy unto the Lord okay in other words he here's a way to put it it's just
giving it all you got so if we are going to make an impact in this world
as Christians we got to give it all it's not just so many it's not just
leaving your family it's not just working in the name of the Lord it's
just everything you got to do it all you know three is often the number of
completion you think of the Trinity Father Son Holy Spirit these three are
one it's complete right the Bible says to love God with all our heart soul and
mind that means love them holy Apostle Paul says that our body soul and mind
would be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ meaning
that we're to be preserved holy right completely so when the Bible talks
about the three measures of meal he's saying you know serve God completely don't
be in and out of church in and out of your Bible in and out of soul winning in
and out just give it all give it all for the cause of Christ and I think in our
church we don't necessarily have a problem with soul winning I think a
lot of people do do a lot of preaching they so when they preach the
gospel they get a lot of people saved the danger in that is that other
things get put on the back burner okay and you know I'm glad you're winning
souls but you better be coming to church too though you better be like reading
your Bible too though you better be working at your marriage too though you
better be you know loving your kids as well okay well I'm single well you
get married then I don't have to tell you better get married okay why
because the Christian life is various poles in different ponds and you say
just of wall you know I got salvation I'm just content with that we'll see
what you're saying the millennial rainbow because that is the thing my
friends you know I know that sounds spiritual I know that sounds great and
it's just like whoa but here's the thing the Bible tells us that some
people shall be saved yet so as by fire meaning that they're gonna lose a
lot a lot of their works will be burned at the judgment seat of Christ and you
know a lot of people are gonna say I wish I'd given a more once you realize how
much people get for the work that they did you realize I should have done
more and you say well how can I get the most bang for my butt just serve
God in every area of life well I do work on my marriage I do you know
try to raise my kids in the nurture in the admonition of the Lord I do
read my Bible I do pray okay go souling then make sure you're preaching the
gospel you know the Bible tells us that everything is dying right Revelation 3
talks about that and so we need to make sure that we balance everything and
put the leaven into the three measures of meals so that the whole is leavened
in order to make a complete and entire saturated impact for the cause of
Christ we need to make sure we put three measures of me okay very important go
down to verse number let's see here goes to the tears cast them into the furnace
look at verse 44 now this parable is probably one of my favorite parables
this one right here it's very powerful says in verse 44 again the kingdom of
heaven is likened to treasure hid in a field the which when a man hath found he
hide it and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that
field now that is a powerful powerful parable there because what he's saying
is this he's given this illustration of a man guys he's hiking he's taking a
walk and then you know he sees something like you know and I'm obviously
inferred into the text but you know he sees a little something shimmer in the
distance in a field is that he goes there and it's like it's a it's a silver
silver coin he's like oh man it's a silver coin so he digs it up but then
more keeps coming out and then there's silver coin there's shimmering all over
the ground he's like this field has treasure in it and you know the
implication here is that you know it's it's worth a lot of money right there's
a lot of treasure there a lot of pride gold and silver I mean is he hit the
jackpot the problem is that it's not his because the field doesn't belong to him
so in order for him to obtain this field or obtain the treasure excuse me he
has to buy the field meaning that's gonna it's gonna cost him a lot because
the price of the field is basically everything that he has the price of
purchasing the field is gonna completely drain his bank account right it's gonna
bring it maybe even to a negative it's probably gonna go into the red a little
bit because the field is so expensive but in his mind it's not a sacrifice what
is it it's an investment he realizes yeah I'm gonna pay for everything and I'm
gonna sacrifice a lot in the short term but once I buy that field I get that
treasure I'll get repaid triple quadruple more than what I actually put into it
you say well how what principle is this the principle is this folks when it comes
to the kingdom of God pay the price don't view serving God as a sacrifice
don't view coming to church as a sacrifice don't view the gas that you
put in your vehicle to drive all the way here as a sacrifice don't view your
Bible reading as a sacrifice don't view soul winning in this heats okay because
Arizona's worse you know all these other countries over you know there's all
these other states are worse all these other places where it's human is
worse but it's hot I was like oh man it's not a sacrifice I'm here to tell
you you're not sacrificing anything it's an investment it's when it's an
investment you're buying the field in order to obtain the treasure that's
hidden in that field what is the Lord Jesus Christ trying to get across here
stop viewing like serving the Lord as just like a drudgery or something oh it's
just so agree I'm just sacrificed so much just so hard yeah it's so hard for
you to come to church and have me yell at you in an air conditioned room it's
so difficult for me to just call out sin and you sit there and you read
through the scriptures it's not a sacrifice hey guess what you know missing
church or excuse me not missing church you know coming to church going soul
winning and sacrificing the World Cup because you're gonna sacrifice the
World Cup right you know guess what you know that's an investment but then
who cares look there's a treasure in the field waiting for you there's treasures
in the field that await you know but you're over here investing in someone
else's treasure you're making someone else rich someone else popular and the
score is gonna be two to one or something anyways when does that ever
change I know I'm offending all you soccer fans and I call it soccer I'll
call it football it's literally two to one one to two two zero it will not
exceed two maybe three I don't know it depends on who messy pays off I don't
know you know you just don't know why don't you go ahead and go look for
the field that has the treasure why don't you give it all you got to
purchase that field and you'll thank me later when you have the gold silver and
precious stones not the wood hay and stubble you'll get the rewards for your
investment and obviously sometimes we say sacrifice but the right mindset is
that it's an investment more than anything else whatever you put into it
you know the Bible says the blessing of the Lord it make it rich and he
added no sorrow to it and you can never out give God it just will not happen by
the field purchase the field this guy's smart next parable here and this is the
last one because the the seventh one which is the net is essentially a
reiteration of the parable of the tears and the wheat they're being
separated the batter cast into the furnace and so forth so I'm not gonna
reiterate that look at verse number 45 it says again the kingdom of heaven is like
into a merchant man seeking goodly pearls who when he had found one pearl of great
price went and sold all that he had and bought it so it's the same principle
we see in verse 45 the pearl of great price is referring to the word of God
it's referring to the words of the word of God it's not referring to some
heretical book made by 10 speeders okay I'm referring to Mormons I'm referring
to the book of Mormon this is addressing the word of God and you know what the
practical application that we can gather from this is this you know when you're
studying the Bible search for that goodly pearl right pray for the deep
truths of God's word the treasures of God's word but it's also applicable to
just say because it's simply reiterating what the previous parable
stated that it's it's worth the investment into the goodly pearl into that
field because we know the return they're gonna get is gonna is gonna be a lot
greater okay don't view the Christian life as a sacrifice view it as an
investment and here's the great thing about investing into the things of God
you don't really have to wait until the millennial reign to see a return God
ends up blessing you even in the temporal he's such a great boss he's such a
great Lord he's such a generous Savior that we not only get dividends in the
eternal he even blesses us now in the temporal as well he gives us both okay
he gives us kind of like a down payment he blesses us here with spiritual
blessings he blesses us with success and prosperity and knowledge of God's word
and salvation and prosperity in various ways we get that here now but the Bible
telling us here specifically that we will see it in the future one day as
well these are the mysteries of the kingdom and I would hope that as a
Christian you take these to heart don't take them lightly recognize
there's there's tears in this kingdom doesn't mean the kingdom is bad
doesn't mean the seat is bad it's just it's just reality okay you know also
recognize that the little you do will end up producing a tree recognize that in
order to get the treasure it requires investment but once you invest you know
it requires for you to have that three measures of meal to the whole is
leavened okay give it all you got invest as much as you possibly can
and earn the rewards for Christ Amen let's pray Father we thank you so much for
your word thank you for these parables help us as your people to take the heart
the things that were said today Lord I pray that you'd bless us Lord thank you
for giving us a glimpse into the eternal and sometimes the cares of this
life the deceitfulness of riches the lust of other things entering in can
choke the word and we can become unfruitful and so help us Lord to
align our perspective our motives Lord our objectives in this world and may we
seek first the kingdom of God in your righteousness Lord I pray that you
bless this as we go on our way bless the soul winning may we see people save
Lord those with your spirit and your power play pray this things in Jesus
name