{"id":1928,"date":"2023-07-23T09:00:23","date_gmt":"2023-07-23T16:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/?p=1928"},"modified":"2023-10-23T20:21:39","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T03:21:39","slug":"eighth-sunday-after-pentecost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/2023\/07\/23\/eighth-sunday-after-pentecost\/","title":{"rendered":"Eighth Sunday after Pentecost"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sermon Text: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43<\/p>\n

What Is a Christian?<\/p>\n

Someone Who Recognizes the Reality of Life!<\/p>\n

24<\/sup>Jesus told them another parable: <\/span>\u201cThe kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25<\/sup>But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26<\/sup>When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.<\/i><\/p>\n

            <\/span><\/i>27<\/sup>\u201cThe owner\u2019s servants came to him and said, \u2018Sir, didn\u2019t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

            <\/span><\/i>28<\/sup>\u201c \u2018An enemy did this,\u2019 he replied.<\/i><\/p>\n

            <\/span><\/i> \u201cThe servants asked him, \u2018Do you want us to go and pull them up?\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

            <\/span><\/i>29<\/sup>\u201c \u2018No,\u2019 he answered, \u2018because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30<\/sup>Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.\u2019 \u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

36<\/sup>Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, \u201cExplain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

37<\/sup>He answered, <\/span>\u201cThe one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38<\/sup>The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39<\/sup>and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.<\/i><\/p>\n

            <\/span><\/i>40<\/sup>\u201cAs the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41<\/sup>The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42<\/sup>They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43<\/sup>Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.\u201d<\/i> <\/span>(NIV1984)<\/p>\n

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n

Have you ever gotten the impression that the church is \u201closing ground\u201d?  Just one or two generations ago the major social issues that are dominating the news and dividing the country were not nearly as \u201cin your face\u201d as they are now.  There was a common understanding that what is best for a child is to be raised in a household that consisted of <\/span>both <\/span><\/b>a mother <\/span>and <\/span><\/b>a father who are <\/span>married <\/span><\/b>to each other.  There was a common understanding that there are <\/span>only <\/span><\/b>two genders\u2014 male and female.  There was a common understanding that there <\/span>is <\/span><\/b>a \u201cright\u201d and there <\/span>is <\/span><\/b>a \u201cwrong\u201d and if you do something \u201cwrong\u201d you need to bear the consequences for that \u201cwrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the surface it can easily appear as though the church is indeed \u201closing ground.\u201d  How do we react to this?  While we might react with horror, while we might react with indignation, we should never react with surprise.  Why?  Because this is exactly what our God warned us would happen more and more often as we get closer and closer to the end of all things!  As we continue our sermon series <\/span>What Is a Christian?<\/i><\/b> <\/span>today let\u2019s see how Jesus reminds us that a Christian is:  <\/span>Someone Who Recognizes the Reality of Life!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

While the Parable of the Weeds is relatively easy to understand, applying it to our own hearts and our own lives may not always be so easy.  Look at the first part of this parable.  Jesus says, <\/span>\u201cThe kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.\u201d<\/i>  Pretty easy to understand, right?  Now listen to how Jesus applies these words, <\/span>\u201cThe one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom.  The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

As the \u201cowner\u201d of the field, as the One who has <\/span>\u201call authority in heaven and on earth\u201d<\/i> <\/span>(Matthew 28:18) Jesus carefully and lovingly plants only <\/span>\u201cgood seed\u201d<\/i> <\/span>in this world.  This means that <\/span>everyone <\/span><\/b>who believes and trusts in Jesus\u2014 including you and me!\u2014 are seen as <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>in God\u2019s eyes.  Unfortunately, Jesus\u2019 <\/span>\u201cenemy\u201d<\/i> <\/span>is also <\/span>our <\/span><\/b>\u201cenemy,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and that <\/span>\u201cenemy\u201d<\/i> <\/span>is the devil\u2014 a powerful, evil, fallen angel.  Satan makes his presence known in this world by sowing <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i> <\/span>among the <\/span>\u201cwheat.\u201d<\/i> <\/span> At first the <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and the <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>look very much alike\u2014 until they both <\/span>\u201csprout\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and produce <\/span>\u201cheads.\u201d<\/i>  That\u2019s when the difference between the <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and the <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i> <\/span>becomes obvious.  That\u2019s when the <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i> <\/span>become an especially clear and present danger to the <\/span>\u201cwheat.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

As you and I look around in our own portion of God\u2019s field, as we look around in our own little corner of God\u2019s world, we need to recognize the reality of our own life.  We are like <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>living among <\/span>\u201cweeds.\u201d<\/i>  On the outside, the unbelievers might look very much like us.  They are valuable co-workers.  They are helpful neighbors.  They are dedicated to their family.  They are loyal to their friends.  But when you look a little deeper, when you listen more closely that is when you can see and hear that from <\/span>God\u2019s <\/span><\/b>perspective they are <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and not <\/span>\u201cwheat.\u201d<\/i>  As the <\/span>\u201cfruit\u201d<\/i> <\/span>of their heart becomes visible in their life, as their priorities become evident that is when you are able to see that they are <\/span>nothing <\/span><\/b>like you and me.  That is when you are able to see that from God\u2019s perspective they belong to the <\/span>\u201cevil one.\u201d<\/i>  The causes that they support and promote, the scorn and the ridicule they have for the convictions and the values that you and I hold near and dear to our hearts may lead us to lift up our eyes to heaven and say, \u201cLord, do you want us to go and get rid of these <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n

That is the thought that leads us into the second portion of our text.  Jesus\u2019 parable continues with the words, <\/span>\u201cThe servants asked him, \u2018Do you want us to go and pull them up?\u2019  \u2018No,\u2019 he answered, \u2018because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest.  At that time I will tell the harvesters:  First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.\u201d<\/i>  Jesus\u2019 explanation of what this means is very powerful.  He says, <\/span>\u201cThe harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. so it will be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.  They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where 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, let him hear.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

There have been various times down through the ages when the <\/span>\u201csons of the kingdom\u201d<\/i> <\/span>mistakenly thought of themselves as spiritual \u201cweed whackers.\u201d  They wanted to <\/span>\u201cpull up\u201d<\/i> <\/span>everything <\/span>they<\/b> <\/span>considered to be evil, everything <\/span>they <\/span><\/b>saw as being a damaging influence\u2014 both in the church and in the world.  That is <\/span>not <\/span><\/b>our job!  We do not have the authority or the ability to look into someone\u2019s heart and condemn them as a <\/span>\u201cweed\u201d<\/i> <\/span>that needs to be eradicated at all costs.  And we certainly do not want to either directly or indirectly damage someone whose faith is weak!<\/p>\n

In sharp contrast to what <\/span>we <\/span><\/b>sometimes want to do, Jesus tells us\u2014 \u201cWait!  Wait for the harvest!  Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until <\/span>I <\/span><\/b>decide it is time to harvest <\/span>My<\/b> <\/span>field!\u201d  Our response to this might be along the lines of, \u201cWait?  That\u2019s your plan Jesus?  Wait?  You want us to let the people who hurt us, let the people who are a clear and present danger to your children\u2014 to <\/span>our <\/span><\/b>children\u2014  live as though there are no consequences to what they are doing?  Wait?  You are willing to let your children be oppressed or ridiculed or silenced?  Wait?  You want us to just let the <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and the <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i> <\/span>grow side-by-side in the \u201cfields\u201d of this world?  Wait?  Is that your solution to the reality that we face every single day of our lives?\u201d<\/p>\n

No, my friends, that is <\/span>not<\/b> <\/span>Jesus\u2019 <\/span>answer <\/span><\/b>to the frustrations that we feel as <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>living among the <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d\u2014 <\/span><\/i>but it is an accurate description of the reality of our lives. Jesus has a plan\u2014 a plan to take care of all the <\/span>\u201cweeds.\u201d<\/i>  Jesus has a plan\u2014 a plan to <\/span>\u201croot out\u201d<\/i> <\/span>all <\/span><\/b>the evil in this world together with <\/span>all <\/span><\/b>the effects of sin.  He even has all His workers standing by, ready and able to remove every <\/span>\u201cweed,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>every wicked thing that stands in opposition to His Church and to His children.  But those workers are not us!  Scripture assures us that the Lord God Almighty has already determined the precise proper time to <\/span>\u201charvest\u201d<\/i> <\/span>this world.  When that time arrives God will send out His millions upon millions of powerful holy angels all across this world.  These powerful angels will gather up all the unbelievers, all the <\/span>\u201cweeds,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and <\/span>\u201cthrow them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\u201d<\/i>  This is an obvious reference to the eternal fires of hell.<\/p>\n

Then Jesus will have His powerful holy angels gather together all the believers, all the <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and bring them into <\/span>\u201cthe Kingdom of their Father.\u201d<\/i>  In sharp contrast to the <\/span>\u201cfiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>all the believers, all the <\/span>\u201cwheat,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>all the people who through faith in Jesus have been given the perfect white robe of righteous that Jesus won <\/span>for <\/span><\/b>them on the cross will <\/span>\u201cshine like the sun\u201d<\/i> <\/span>\u2014 forever!  This is an obvious reference to the glorious eternal life that we will enjoy in God\u2019s glorious heavenly Kingdom!<\/p>\n

This is what we stay focused on, my friends.  This is the reality of our lives as <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>among the <\/span>\u201cweeds.\u201d<\/i>  Our focus, our reality is that one day Jesus will fulfill all of His promises to us, such as:  His promise to <\/span>\u201ctransform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body\u201d <\/span><\/i>(Philippians 3:21), His promise to remove <\/span>all <\/span><\/b>the damaging effects that sin has had on our hearts, our lives and our bodies, His promise that He gives to us through His servant John, <\/span>\u201cThey are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple, and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.  Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heart.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes\u201d<\/i> <\/span>(Revelation 7:15-17).  As Christians these are the promises we hold near and dear to our hearts.  As Christians, this is the reality of our lives<\/p>\n

\u201cWait,\u201d our Savior tells us.  \u201cWait until the time for harvesting comes.  Let the wheat and the weeds grow side-by-side\u2014 for now.  Wait for <\/span>My<\/b> <\/span>Plan to unfold <\/span>exactly <\/span><\/b>as <\/span>I<\/b> <\/span>have designed it.\u201d  While that may not be the answer we would want, as Christians we recognize that God\u2019s plans are <\/span>always <\/span><\/b>good and right and proper.  Think about it, my friends.  The fact that God allows the <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and the <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i> <\/span>to grow side-by-side has often been the catalyst for God\u2019s Church to grow and to flourish.  The fact that we face the trials and the temptations of this <\/span>\u201cweedy\u201d<\/i> <\/span>world serves to test our faith and causes it to grow stronger.  The fact that we are surrounded by <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i> <\/span>as we journey through this world makes us long all the more for <\/span>\u201cthe glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ\u201d<\/i> <\/span>(Titus 2:13).<\/p>\n

\u201cWait.  Let the wheat and the weeds grow side-by-side\u2014 for now.\u201d  Does that mean that we should minimize or ignore the tremendous difference between the <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and the <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i>?  Hardly!  But it does mean that while we have no business forcefully uprooting the unbelievers from this world, we always have the responsibility to boldly testify to them concerning the Truth of Scripture!  Since we cannot look into anyone\u2019s heart, since we cannot peer into the future we do not know if God in His grace and in His mercy will use the power of His Gospel to transform a <\/span>\u201cweed\u201d<\/i> <\/span>into <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i>\u2014 just like He did with us!<\/p>\n

So what does God want us to do while we wait?  First of all, He does <\/span>not<\/b> <\/span>want us to despair\u2014 no matter how many <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i> <\/span>are all around us!  He wants us to boldly live like <\/span>\u201cwheat\u201d<\/i> <\/span>among those <\/span>\u201cweeds\u201d<\/i>!  He wants us to be faithful and fruitful.  He wants us to stay focused on the harvest that will most certainly take place\u2014  at its proper time.  He wants us to recognize the reality of our life\u2014 trusting that <\/span>He <\/span><\/b>is <\/span>always <\/span><\/b>in control!  (Pointing to the cross)<\/p>\n

To God be the glory!<\/p>\n

Amen<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

Download sermon audio :: Pentecost-7-23-23.mp3<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sermon Text: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 What Is a Christian? Someone Who Recognizes the Reality of Life! 24Jesus told them another parable: \u201cThe kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1928"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1933,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1928\/revisions\/1933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}