WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.000 The Kingdom of God, part 11. And I'm calling it the Wheat and the Weeds. The Wheat and the Weeds. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:18.000 And my first point is called Growing Together in the Kingdom. Growing Together in the Kingdom. Jude. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:28.000 Little obscure book with so much meaning in it. Verse 22 says this, and I want you to the heart of God in this. 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:34.000 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:44.000 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:52.000 hating the sins that contaminate their lives. Now all glory to God who is able to keep you from falling away 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:59.000 and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:10.000 All glory to him who alone is God our Savior. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, all glory, majesty, power and authority 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:16.000 are his before all time and in the present and beyond all time. Amen. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:26.000 It's called the Doxology, and we're learning straight away on God's heart towards people who are wavering in their faith 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:34.000 and and those who are strong in their faith, reminding them that it's God who holds us. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:42.000 The message Bible puts it like this. Go easy on those who are hesitant in the faith. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:50.000 Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:54.000 The sin itself stings. To high heaven 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:04.000 and now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:14.000 to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ our Master. Be glory, majesty, strength and rule 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:20.000 before all time. And now until the end of time. Yes. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:30.000 See, God is reminding us that there are those who are fragile in the faith who don't have a revelation of God. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:36.000 Either they're not saved yet or they're barely saved. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:44.000 If you hear what I'm saying, they're not sure where they stand. You got to be tender with them. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:52.000 Remember, it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance, not the hammer of God that leads to repentance. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:03:02.000 And when a person is fragile in their faith and they're in a tender place, there's a way you treat them. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:12.000 Then on the other end of the spectrum are those who stand strong in the faith and they love the Lord and He wants to stop you from being full of pride. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:20.000 And the way it does, it says, I want you to remember him who's keeping you standing tall. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:26.000 It's his presence. It's his grace and his mercy. It's not something you've done. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:32.000 You haven't achieved your way to the throne of God. God has drawn you he's brought you 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:42.000 and now he wants to Jesus wants to address the phenomenon of those people who look, talk and act the same, 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:48.000 but they're actually not the same. And he wants to speak to us about it. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:56.000 So what he does is he gives us a parable the wheat and the weeds. And we're going to discover that the farmer discovers a problem. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:06.000 So if you have a Bible you want to turn, I'm reading from the New Living translation, Matthew chapter 13. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:16.000 While you're finding your way, just want to remind you or let you know that within two weeks the coffee shop will be fully operational. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:24.000 The Bible school, the ETS is going to get started this week as well. And kids church will be almost done the next two weeks. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:34.000 We're going to work hard and we're almost ready. Matthew 13:24 here's another story Jesus told 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:42.000 the kingdom of heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:48.000 his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:56.000 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. The farmer's workers went to him and said, 00:04:56.000 --> 00:05:04.000 sir, the field where you planted the good seed is full of weeds. Where did they come from? An enemy has done this. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:12.000 The farmer exclaimed. Shall we pull the weeds out? They asked. Let's stop right there. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:22.000 Someone once gave this quote. The person who said that a job well done never needs repeating has obviously never weeded a garden. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:30.000 You would agree with me. Every season the weeds come again. You don't know where from, you don't know how they got there. 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:36.000 In fact, I have become an expert in almost nothing. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:46.000 But what I have done is I've watched in our garden where weeds come from in it's the seeds that we give the birds 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:56.000 and then the birds do their little poop, you know, that little and then whatever they letting down the enemy, the birds, 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:04.000 whatever they dropping on our lawn comes up that doesn't look like grass. That's just from my experience 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:12.000 and we all have ideas what happens when you pull weeds out of a garden. But a wheat field is not like an average garden 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:22.000 and the hearers of this parable knew what Jesus was talking about in in fact, you can't tell where the weed stops and where the weeds begin. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:30.000 They look very similar when they start growing together in the field. In fact, the weeds are called darnel or falseweed. 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:36.000 They resemble in their early stage, especially in the leaves, each other. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:44.000 If you look at those pictures, if you had a quick glance, you wouldn't Almost know which one of those was which. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:52.000 The differences only become more apparent at harvest time when the grain heads can be seen. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:58.000 And if you pull the weeds out during growing season, you'll destroy the wheat. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:08.000 And isn't it interesting that the Bible says in Revelation 22:2 that the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations? 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:18.000 And in the early stages of development of a church of anywhere, when you see all sorts of people starting to grow together 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:28.000 and mingle and hang around together, they all look full of potential. They. They all look equally good, isn't it? 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:34.000 I mean, I shook about 100 hands this morning. And most of you showered, 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:42.000 most of you brushed your teeth and your hair, and you're looking good this morning. Most of you look rather attractive. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:52.000 The leaves are great, I see, full of potential. But the grain heads, which is at harvest time speaks of maturity, fruitfulness. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:08:00.000 The grain heads becomes the measure of the sons of daughters of the kingdom. Not knowledge, not experience, 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:08.000 not how bright your little light shines, not whether you know that verse in the Bible and that one and where to find it. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:18.000 God says, wait for fruitfulness, wait for harvest time. Because at harvest time in a field is when you can see 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:28.000 that the grain that has heads on it, it is fruit. Fruitful fruitfulness is the mark of a son or a daughter in the kingdom of God, 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:38.000 not appearance, fruitfulness. So the farmer says in verse 29. No, he replied. 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:48.000 And I said, can we uproot the weeds in the early stages? No, you'll uproot the wheat if you do, let both grow together till harvest. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:58.000 Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them in bundles and burn them, and put the wheat in the barn at harvest time. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:08.000 No one's going to be concerned about destroying the wheat by mistake because it will have matured. It will be obvious to the farmer which is which. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:18.000 And the farmer gets to decide when harvest time is. The farmer gets to decide when the harvesters are going to start harvesting. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:28.000 And the clock is ticking. And what Jesus is saying is in nowhere in this process with weeds and wheat in the same field, 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:38.000 nowhere in this process is the farmer out of control. Even when the workers can say, what's going on here, what's happening? 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:48.000 He's firmly in control. It's a little bit of the lesson Job learned before God. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:58.000 I've just started my Bible reading plan again, and being the overachiever I am, I've finished already. So I've started my new one. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:08.000 And I've just finished the book of Job, where they all rail against God. And then God reveals himself in his glory and his power. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:18.000 And he says, if you can't even catch the Leviathan, what are you going to do with me? And Job repents. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:28.000 And him and his friends are going to say, God, we had a false view of you. We want to see you as you are. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:38.000 In this parable, the wheat, the weeds, and the harvesters are all going to have a look at the farmer. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:48.000 They are going to understand how awesome and amazing the farmer is. And the farmer wants them to grow together. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:58.000 And now I want to look at my next point, which is this. The seeds for the world. The seeds for the world. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:08.000 Remember, the farmer plants the seeds. Now, the disciples are a bit confused about this story. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:18.000 So they go to Jesus later in the day and say, please, can you explain to us what's going on? Yeah. Matthew 13:36. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:28.000 Leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:38.000 Jesus replied, the Son of man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The Son of man. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:48.000 Jesus is the farmer who plants the good seed. And the farmer is also the word. John 1:14. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:58.000 The seeds are sown by the Son of man in the same way that in the parable you get normal seeds that are growing and become wheat. 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:08.000 There are sons and daughters of the kingdom that, that Jesus plants with the intention of making them mature. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:18.000 And the sowing comes when they hear the word of God. Remember the parable of the sower with the four kinds of seed. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:28.000 So Jesus said, I plant the seed into different kinds of soil. When a seed, when a soil responds to the seed 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:38.000 and that person is born again, they become a son or a daughter of the kingdom. And the moment you become a son or a daughter of the kingdom, 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:48.000 God pulls up the chair in your life. He brings you close and he starts to look at you. And he starts to look at your life and says, 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:58.000 now I want to show you, I'm the farmer, you the seed. It's not the other way around. I decide what happens. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:08.000 And I brought you to this place and I've talented you and gifted you and put all sorts of things inside you, 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:18.000 because it is my absolute intention to. To take you as a seed and to plant you into this world. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:28.000 And when I plant you in this world, it is my full expectation that you are going to mature and become fruit bearing. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:38.000 Matthew 13:43 says, the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:48.000 God wants to plant you into this world. So that your light will shine. Are you okay with that? Then Jesus continues. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:58.000 Verse 38. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the kingdom. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:08.000 The weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One. That's hectic. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:18.000 The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are angels. The field is the world. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:28.000 It's the world of family, the world of business, this world around us, even the world of church. It's the world of humanity. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:38.000 And the enemy places people in the world who look like us, talk like us, they act like the people of the light, 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:48.000 but they are not obedient to God and they are not submitted to his authority. But they live in the world with us, 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:58.000 they work with us, they vote with us, they put petrol in with us, they play sport with us, they live next door to us. 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:08.000 And some have been planted by God and some have been planted by the enemy. And there's a coexistence in this world. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:18.000 But you have a God above who wants to redeem this world using the seeds that he has planted into the world which he calls wheat. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:28.000 It's a pretty straightforward story so far. Hey. They're the ones who have received the word of God and they're maturing. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:38.000 And at the same time are those who 1 John 5:19 says, are those in the world that are still under the control of the evil One. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:48.000 And we know who is wheat versus weeds because as James says in chapter one, verse 21, 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:58.000 he says the word God has planted in your hearts, which has the power to save your soul. Now, how did you become a Christian? 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:08.000 You see, spiritual life through the word of God came into you. And when you got born again, 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:18.000 the power and the authority of the Word of God, by the Spirit of God got in you and started to organize your life in new ways. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:28.000 From marriage to relationships, to attitude, to finance, to friendship, everything starts to change. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:38.000 God starts to rearrange your value system to fit the kingdom of the world. And out of this comes a fruitfulness. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:48.000 We look different, we act different, we talk different. This is our life as a son or a daughter of the kingdom. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:58.000 What a travesty when you can work with someone your whole life and they didn't know you were a Christian. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:08.000 Because this parable tells us there's going to be a whole lot who all look the same, talk the same, act the same, but they're not the same. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:18.000 And when they mature, that's when things will become different. And that's why? The Bible says, put off the old person and put on the new. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:28.000 Submit yourself to Jesus because something is going to happen and you'll notice that the difference between the wheat and the weeds 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:38.000 is that the wheat have put on Christ. They have come to know Jesus. Here's a beautiful verse for you. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:48.000 Romans 13:14. Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:58.000 and don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. Have you ever thought about the implications of that phrase 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:08.000 when you've read it? Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus. There is beauty, there is wonder in the presence of the Lord. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:18.000 It's incomparable. Can I tell you, the presence of the Lord is something we need to become more familiar with together. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:28.000 That's why for me in worship this morning, we just paused a moment in the presence of our God, 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:38.000 because when you learn in a together corporate place how to access the Lord, it becomes so much easier to go home 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:48.000 and have your own devotions where you wait upon him and you learn to access Him. Your glory is the fact that you've clothed yourself with Christ. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:58.000 The breath, the presence of the Lord literally sustains us in this life. The mark of a Christian is someone who has been planted 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:08.000 as a wheat seed into the world. Ephesians 4:24 says, Put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:18.000 Jesus is trying to explain that in the same way that that seed, that wheat seed was planted, 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:28.000 it has incredible power and potential wrapped up in its DNA, isn't it? A little seed is planted in the ground 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:38.000 and it becomes wheat or it becomes a weed, depending on the DNA that's put within that seed. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:48.000 And what we're being told here by Paul in Ephesians is that when you became a Christian literal new DNA was put inside you. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:58.000 You were created to be like Christ. You don't just believe something different to people in the world. 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:08.000 A whole new nature has been put inside you at salvation. And the intention of God is that you will renew this world. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:18.000 You'll redeem it through the fruit you bear. God wants you and I to be fruit bearers. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:28.000 Did you notice that last announcement we gave was for rooted? Because in the last three weeks we've had over 83 people 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:38.000 respond to the gospel in the last three weeks. What now? Yes, we give you rooted material. 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:48.000 Yes, we contact you, we phone you, we send you messages. We do what we can. But I want to remind you 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:58.000 that there was no ministry of helps, there was no serving team in Acts when just like that, 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:08.000 God exploded the church with thousands that got saved in a day. And in Acts, chapter two, this is what the Bible says, 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:18.000 they devoted themselves to the gathering of the saints, to the breaking of bread, to prayer, to the ministry of the word. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:28.000 They devoted themselves. When you came here to the front and you gave your life to Jesus, 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:38.000 a new seed was put inside you, a new nature was put inside you. And you devote yourself, 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:48.000 even if like a newborn baby, all you know how to do is waa, waa. That's enough to get God's attention and to get ours. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:58.000 And that's why we're having rooted. And we're going to suggest if you're young in your faith, you're not established in your faith. 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:08.000 Get there, devote yourself. Lord, I need to grow in Christ. If church attendance was enough to grow you in Christ, 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:18.000 then every old sour person in church would be more like Jesus. But you know as well as I do, 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:28.000 there's some people been in church for, for a few weeks or months or years and you dare sit in their spot 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:38.000 and they arrive at church and you're in their chair. Do you see how the glory of Jesus comes out is not enough to make you into a Christian. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:48.000 Mark my words, the devil attends some churches and he's not becoming more like Jesus. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:58.000 It's when you devote yourself to put on Christ, put on your new nature, he says. And then Jesus says, 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:08.000 let me tell you how all this is going to end. Matthew 13:40. Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:18.000 so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will remove from his kingdom 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:28.000 everything that causes sin and all to do evil. And the angels will throw them in the fiery furnace 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:38.000 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous, I read that now, then the righteous 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:48.000 will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Anyone with ears should listen and understand Jesus is saying. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:58.000 The words I speak to you germinate inside you. They bring you into a spiritual life. 00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:08.000 The born again person becomes a good seed planted in the world. And the moment you plant it in the world as a Christian, 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:18.000 you start to take the disorganization of the world around you and, and you bring it into the organized life of the kingdom. 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:28.000 By the way you live, your values, the choices you make, what you believe, what you say, how you speak, how you interact, 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:38.000 you start to shape your world around the kingdom of God. That's why we plant it into the world. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:48.000 The downside of course, is that the inclusivity of the kingdom means we're going to have people in the exact same field, 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:58.000 the world, who are weeds and who still need to receive the word of God. Which leads me to this question, 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:08.000 Lord, why do you put them together? Maybe the Lord allows the wheat and the weeds to grow together 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:18.000 to provide time and opportunity for weeds to become wheat as they hear the word of the Lord. 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:28.000 Which leads to point 3. Why does God allow weeds? He says, there the field is the world and we're all invited. 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:38.000 Remember the parable of the great banquets? We're all invited, every single person. God excludes no one. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:48.000 Every human being is invited into the kingdom of God. And God is not willing that any should perish, 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:58.000 but that all should come to eternal life. When you read verses with me this morning that says that the weeds are burned 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:08.000 and put aside and the wheat go into heaven, surely something in your heart that start to get a compassion 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:18.000 for people who don't know Jesus. Surely something of what you and I start to carry in this church is what now? 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:28.000 I have friends, neighbors, family members who don't know Jesus. And Jesus just told me what happens to them at the end. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:38.000 I can't be like King Hezekiah who said, I will praise God. For me it's going to go well for the next 15 years. 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:48.000 All the trouble comes to those after me. You can't be so selfish. I believe God and I'll get on to my next point. 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:58.000 God gives us a net that that's so broad as this so that we can bring hundreds and thousands into the net. 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:08.000 The point is that together we understand there are consequences that are coming to the world. Everyone has been invited. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:18.000 There are those who are in the kingdom and they live like it. And there are those who are in the kingdom space, 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:28.000 but there's no life in them. And there's two little propositions in and of, in and of that you and I need to pay attention to. 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:38.000 God plants us into the world, but we're not of the world. It's an in and of Christians can live properly in this world 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:48.000 with a Christ like character. And right next to us are people who are living in God's kingdom space, 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:58.000 who are offensive, lawless. They're not interested in the things we're interested in and God has put us right with them. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:08.000 I know some of you are saying like, lord, please come again, My taxes are due. Let the trumpet sound the call to glory. 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:18.000 Can I tell you, God is a father and as a father he carries a deep Concern for children who are lost. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:28.000 When God says, it is my heart that none should perish, but all that should come to eternal life. 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:38.000 He showed his love by putting his son on a cross, reminding you and I that God is going after every lost person 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:48.000 every single day, putting opportunities in their way. And he puts part of his opportunities for them is you. 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:58.000 He puts you there so that you can meet them, you can connect with them. And your wheat is supposed to shine 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:08.000 in the midst of these weeds. And then we find out. My fourth point. There's a net. 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:18.000 Now, these people Jesus was speaking to were fishermen, farmers, business people. They kind of get what he was saying. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:28.000 And he goes like this. He realizes some of them aren't getting it, so he says this. Verse 47. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:38.000 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown in the water and caught a fish of every kind. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:48.000 When the net was full, they dragged it up on the shore, sat down and sorted the good fish into crates, 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:58.000 but threw the bad ones away. The people following Jesus had seen this for years. They knew exactly what he was talking about. 00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:08.000 When you throw a net out, you don't sort the fish in the net. You catch everything. You don't discern straight away. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:18.000 You bring them out of the water, you bring them out of their natural environment. Then you start to sort what's what. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:28.000 I wonder, have you ever been to places where you've seen these guys catching fish in nets and you catch them 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:38.000 and it's too small, so you throw it back. Some fish get caught 10 times. 15, I've seen this game before. 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:48.000 15, 20, 30, 40, 50 times that eventually that fish gets caught. And the lesson we've been told is 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:58.000 give opportunities to everybody and keep giving opportunities. Just because someone says no to Jesus now 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:08.000 doesn't mean they'll say no next month or next year. You don't know what's happening in people's lives. 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:18.000 Some of you in this room, did you say yes the first time? Or like me, did you have to be badgered 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:28.000 before eventually God did something inside of you? The parables are teaching us there's a divide. 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:38.000 There are people in the kingdom who look like the kingdom, and there are people who look like they're in the kingdom and they're not. 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:48.000 But there are also people in the kingdom who don't look like they're in the kingdom. They are born again. They love Jesus. 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:58.000 They just refuse to grow. They just refuse to be fruitful. They don't see their mission through to be involved into the world, 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:08.000 to bring light all they see is, I'm saved. I'm going to heaven. God looks after me, and that's that. 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:18.000 And now Jesus is trying to get their attention too. And he's trying to say, come on. The reason I put you, 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:28.000 the reason I've planted you, is that you would become fruitful. Pay the price of fruitfulness. 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:38.000 By the way, how do you know you're a Christian? While I was baptized as a baby, I've got the photo. 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:48.000 For all I know, all that happened was you had a bath without soap. And more often it was a father dressed like a mother 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:58.000 who sang something in Latin over you. Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice. And when you plant a wheat or a weed 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:08.000 and you plant them in the ground, do you know that in harvest time, the wheat looks like wheat and the wheat looks like a weed? 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:18.000 And the one is fruitful and has a head of grain and the other one doesn't. It's that simple. You actually can't help. 00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:28.000 How do you know you're a Christian? The spirit of God inside you confirms with your spirit. I'm a child of God. 00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:38.000 I hear God. I know his voice. He speaks to me through his word. I am convinced I'm saved 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:48.000 and my life is being changed by the Holy Spirit. I'm becoming more like Jesus. It's actually that simple. 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:58.000 It's really not God. The problem is when the wheat and the weeds carry on looking the same and carry on acting the same 00:33:58.000 --> 00:34:08.000 all the time, it gets confusing for the weeds because the weeds think it's okay to be weeds when the wheat is acting like weeds. 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:18.000 And that's why he says, I want you to be and live so different. I think John was talking about Those people 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:28.000 in 1 John 2, verse 19. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us. 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:38.000 Otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, they proved they didn't belong with us. 00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:48.000 Now, you can't use that scripture to throw at people who leave your church for whatever reason. Sorry. 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:58.000 I got a job offering. Cape Town. Well, you were never of us. It's people who look and act apart 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:08.000 until Jesus and the world place a demand on your life at the same time. And when Jesus and the world 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:18.000 places a demand on your life at the same time, where do you go? What choice do you make? 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:28.000 It's easy when it's a worldly decision or a God decision. But when they both come at the same time, it's tough. 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:38.000 This text is talking about those who fell in love with the world. And you know what? They deny Jesus by their choices, 00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:48.000 wheat and weeds. They don't want fruitfulness, they don't want to change. They quite happy to be weeds. 00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:58.000 1 John 2:15 do not love the world or the things it offers you. For when you love the world, 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:08.000 you don't have the love of the Father in you. Because the Father and the world love different things. 00:36:08.000 --> 00:36:18.000 For the world offers only a craving after physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see 00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:28.000 and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, these are from the world. 00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:38.000 You want to know weed thinking? There it is. And this world is fading away along with everything that people crave. 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:48.000 But everyone who does what pleases God will live forever. Suddenly your desire as you wake up this morning, 00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:58.000 Lord, how do I please you? How do I honor you, Lord, in the way I live my life? How do I do it, Lord? 00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:08.000 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard the Antichrist is coming. Already many Antichrists have appeared. 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:18.000 From this we know the last hour has come. Antichrists are obviously anyone who denies Jesus. The next verse explains, 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:28.000 these people left our churches. They never belonged to us, otherwise they would have stayed with us when they left. 00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:38.000 It proved they didn't belong with us. It's possible to be in the kingdom space, but you're still a weed. 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:48.000 And then Jesus does this. He makes this distinction about being of the world or of the kingdom of God. 00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:58.000 In John, chapter 17, verse 14 in his high priestly prayer, Jesus says, I've given them your word 00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:08.000 and the world hates them because they don't belong to the world, just as I don't belong to the world. 00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:18.000 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:28.000 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth. Teach them your word, which is truth. 00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:38.000 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And the whole point with the wheat and the weeds 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:48.000 is Jesus is saying, I'm about to ascend to heaven. And when I do, I'm going to leave you in this world 00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:58.000 and and you're going to find people who look, talk and act and think just like you, but they're not like you. 00:38:58.000 --> 00:39:08.000 Because only when the seed is planted inside and the Spirit of God is in them, I will then take them 00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:18.000 and I'll put them into the world to rearrange the world to suit the kingdom of God. So don't go into the world 00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:28.000 and be shaped by the world. As someone once said, if the devil wants to get you out of the call of God. 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:38.000 All he has to do is give you a bicycle or a set of golf clubs or a motorbike and you've gone on Sundays. Wow. 00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:48.000 Saturday's family day. Sunday. You know, God gave me this before. We never see you again. 00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:58.000 Can I tell you? Can I throw a third one in? How many? No one in this church. But how many moms have cried to God 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:08.000 for a little baby? Then they get it because God's kind. And you never see them again because this little baby, 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:18.000 this little beautiful baby becomes the biggest idol in their lives. Oh, I can't go to church for six weeks. 00:40:18.000 --> 00:40:28.000 You know why? Just said there's diseases. Listen, there's diseases. After six weeks, every single one of you survived. 00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:38.000 So my point is, the enemy will come with things. And he says, don't love the world. Don't get the world stuck into you. 00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:48.000 I going to send you to bring change to it. You, my disciples, go into the world and preach. 00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:58.000 The kingdom of God is at hand. But the kingdom will only be revealed through the sons of the kingdom, 00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:08.000 through the daughters of the kingdom. And don't get waylaid by weeds who look like weeds. Oh, I can act like that. 00:41:08.000 --> 00:41:18.000 And I close with this beautiful passage. Paul describes the effect these Christians have on people in the world. 00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:28.000 These wheats. Listen to the words of 2 Corinthians 2 from verse 14, and let these words resonate with you this morning. 00:41:28.000 --> 00:41:38.000 But thank God he has made us his captives. Just stop there for a moment. He has made us his captives. 00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:48.000 You know, the wonderful thing about a captive is you only go with a person who holds you in captivity. 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:58.000 Says you can go where you can go, when you can go, how you can go, you are safe when you're his captor, 00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:08.000 when he keeps you under the wings like a mother hen would keep her chicks. How many of you this morning walked into this place? 00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:18.000 I've messed up. I've done this, I've done that. Things aren't right. I don't feel worthy. 00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:28.000 I got a word for you this morning. You're not worthy. You never have been. None of us have. 00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:38.000 That's why the grace of God has been shed abroad in our hearts that when you respond to this gospel of Jesus, 00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:48.000 he takes you captive. And you know what? When you're his captive, you can't be someone else's, because you belong to him. 00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:58.000 And he starts off this beautiful passage in 2 Corinthians, thank God he has made us his captives. 00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:08.000 And I don't know about you. But my prayer would be lord, I'd rather be your captive than anybody else's. 00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:18.000 Hey, we're going just now to Nigeria. It's not the easiest place. Bless all Nigerians who are here. 00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:28.000 But there's a reason you're here. Not there. But we. I think I'm doing Henny. I don't know. 00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:38.000 My 18th or 19th trip to Nigeria leaving at 12 o' clock today. Me and Yuri and Tom and it's going to be interesting. 00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:48.000 But you know what? You go, you leave your family in God's care. You leave everything to do what you do 00:43:48.000 --> 00:43:58.000 because you're his captive. And when he speaks and he has sons and daughters of the kingdom somewhere else 00:43:58.000 --> 00:44:08.000 and he needs them encouraged and ministered to he needs and churches trained and leaders developed. 00:44:08.000 --> 00:44:18.000 God says go. And you know what? Because you're my captive, go. And the loved ones I leave behind 00:44:18.000 --> 00:44:28.000 are also my captives. I'll look after them. It's a knowing that God has them. 00:44:28.000 --> 00:44:38.000 Remember John 17 Father, I'm coming to you. But I trust them to you. Lord, don't take them out of the world. 00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:48.000 Keep them safe in it. You're a captive of the king. He's made us his captives 00:44:48.000 --> 00:44:58.000 and he continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. In other words, it's the will of God 00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:08.000 that he takes you as a captive into victory after victory, triumph after triumph. 00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:18.000 You know your life is supposed to be a series of growing victories in him. And then this. 00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:28.000 Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere. Like a sweet perfume. 00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:38.000 Our lives are a Christ like fragrance rising up to God. Wheat. But this fragrance is perceived differently 00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:48.000 by those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, 00:45:48.000 --> 00:45:58.000 we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. Have you ever been around a braai and someone talks about Christianity? 00:45:58.000 --> 00:46:08.000 We don't talk religion here. They don't want to hear what you got to say. But to those who are being saved, 00:46:08.000 --> 00:46:18.000 we are a life giving perfume. My life as handiwork of God. Every time God squeezes me, 00:46:18.000 --> 00:46:28.000 I've got deodorant. Vanessa bought me David Beckham. And when you spray David Beckham you squeeze. 00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:38.000 Little bit of David Beckham apparently comes on me and she gets all excited. So I take David Beckham with. 00:46:38.000 --> 00:46:48.000 But David Beckham can't come without squeeze. And everywhere we go he says there is a, there is a, there is a. 00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:58.000 Let me just read it. We're a life giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this. 00:46:58.000 --> 00:47:08.000 So God will put you into this world as wheat, and. And he starts to put his squeeze on you. 00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:18.000 And what comes out of you is the very character of Jesus. You see, we are not like the many hucksters 00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:28.000 who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, 00:47:28.000 --> 00:47:38.000 knowing that God is watching us as the farmer watches the seed as it grow. He's watching. 00:47:38.000 --> 00:47:48.000 And I want you and I to be encouraged that God has put us in this place at this time as wheat, not as weeds. 00:47:48.000 --> 00:47:58.000 And we grow up with the weeds. But do not let the weeds shape your life. You start to shape theirs 00:47:58.000 --> 00:48:08.000 with the perfume of the message of life that you carry. And listen, let's be honest. 00:48:08.000 --> 00:48:18.000 If you are a little bit of a sour person, just choose today I'm going to be less sour. Is that all right? 00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:28.000 Don't be that guy, that neighbour, that person say, you know what, Lord? Your spirit is alive in me. 00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:38.000 I'm going to start to act like a weed. I want a full head of grain. I want to be fruitful to some degree. 00:48:38.000 --> 00:48:48.000 I don't ever want to be the hindrance of people coming to Jesus. I want to be the reason they do. 00:48:48.000 --> 00:48:58.000 And Lord, I don't know what I have to offer, but I know it's enough. Parable of the wheat and the weeds. 00:48:58.000 --> 00:49:08.000 And then God says, you know what? I'm going to let you grow together all the way to harvest. 00:49:08.000 --> 00:49:18.000 So it doesn't matter if you immigrate to Australia tomorrow. There's weeds there. Go the other end of the world to the usa. 00:49:18.000 --> 00:49:28.000 There's weeds there. I think there might not be inland or Libya, because nothing grows there. Not even 00:49:28.000 --> 00:49:38.000 wherever you go, the weeds will be. And God says, I've planted you where you are to make a difference. 00:49:38.000 --> 00:49:48.000 That's why you're there. I'm the farmer, you the seed. I planted you. Now go and bear fruit. 00:49:48.000 --> 00:49:58.000 Stand with me, please, Father. With the wheat and the weeds in the same field, there's a lot of wheat. 00:49:58.000 --> 00:50:08.000 And when you find a wheat field and we've all clumped together in that wheat kingdom comes. 00:50:08.000 --> 00:50:18.000 Because you said, when any two or three of you are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of you. 00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:28.000 And you said, where there is unity, you command a blessing. And so not only here in this room, 00:50:28.000 --> 00:50:38.000 but in churches all around our nation and all around the nations of the world where people are gathered together 00:50:38.000 --> 00:50:48.000 this morning as wheat together, I believe you command a blessing. And so we hold hands in a sense 00:50:48.000 --> 00:50:58.000 to remind ourselves that in the field I'm not alone, I'm one of many. And we pray, Lord, 00:50:58.000 --> 00:51:08.000 that in our togetherness would you cause us to become so much more fruitful? Would you cause us to leave old ways behind us? 00:51:08.000 --> 00:51:18.000 Would you cause us, Lord, together this morning to be changed and transformed into the image of Jesus until we die? 00:51:18.000 --> 00:51:28.000 That the older we grow, the more like Jesus we behave, not the less. Help us to grow into you, Lord. 00:51:28.000 --> 00:51:38.000 And may this wheat field be so fruitful that we bring you so much pleasure. To God be the glory. 00:51:38.000 --> 00:51:48.000 Not only great things he has done, but great things he does. Bless us coming week. 00:51:48.000 --> 00:51:58.000 Look after us, care for us and our families. Fight for us, Lord. Take us into a beautiful future. We pray. 00:51:58.000 --> 00:52:08.000 We commit ourselves to you in Jesus name. And all God's people shouted God bless. 00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:18.000 Thank you so much for being a part of our meeting today. Can I just ask two things? 00:52:18.000 --> 00:52:28.000 The first is if today the message has in any way been useful to you, would you mind just maybe liking it 00:52:28.000 --> 00:52:38.000 or putting perhaps a statement down or a comment down that we can know how the ministry has helped you? 00:52:38.000 --> 00:52:48.000 Maybe a thumbs up, maybe you can subscribe to the channel, do whatever, just so we can know what impact this message may be having on you. 00:52:48.000 --> 00:52:58.000 And secondly, you may be someone who's saying, greg, I hear you. And this hope that Jesus has for us 00:52:58.000 --> 00:53:08.000 can come into my heart and it can change me. But the reality is that I don't even know if I know Jesus. 00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:18.000 I want to say two things to you right away. The first is he's near you right now. 00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:28.000 The Bible says if you believe in your heart that he is the Lord and if you confess him with your mouth, you will be saved. 00:53:28.000 --> 00:53:38.000 Which means you just need to where you are, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ even now and just say, 00:53:38.000 --> 00:53:48.000 lord, here I am. I recognize who you are, confess my sin to you. I acknowledge you as Jesus Christ, 00:53:48.000 --> 00:53:58.000 the Lord of all, the Son of the living God. And I want to follow you. I want to become a disciple of yours. 00:53:58.000 --> 00:54:08.000 I want to give my life to you, Lord. And you can pray that prayer right now between you and the Lord. 00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:18.000 Secondly, you can get hold of us. We could either send you some material, we can put you in touch with a really good church near you. 00:54:18.000 --> 00:54:28.000 If you live in our area, you can come to us us. You can follow us on YouTube. 00:54:28.000 --> 00:54:38.000 But it is good to get connected into the family of God, to get connected into a local church 00:54:38.000 --> 00:54:48.000 that your life changes being surrounded with the family of God. Please stay in touch. God bless you.