Don't Use the Weedeater

Matt. 13:24-30

SBS:

Prayer

Intro: You have all heard it. You have all experienced it. Philosophers call it the problem of evil. Regular folks just ask the simple question: How can God allow terrorists to fly planes into buildings? How can God allow tsunamis to wipe out entire villages of people? How can God allow a young man with a gun to walk around the University shooting other students for no reason? Those are real questions that demand a real answer.

EVERY PERSON MUST REALIZE THAT GOD ALLOWS EVIL IN THE WORLD ONLY FOR A TIME, AND THAT THE DAY OF JUDGMENT IS COMING.

Jude class, Eric, and the Johnny Cash song “When the Man Comes Around” One day the King is coming and it is not going to be pretty for some of the population.

This parable forces us to realize several things:

BE AWARE EVIL IS REAL vv. 24-25 there are good and bad seeds. V. 28 there is an enemy These seeds are sometimes hard to tell the difference at first. A practitioner of Christian Scientist who was asked about someone who was sick replied “he is not sick, he just thinks he’s sick.” A few weeks later, the practitioner of this very strange religion saw the person and asked if their friend still thought he was sick. The reply came “Oh no, he thinks he’s dead now.”
BE PATIENT WAITING IS HARD v. 29-30 Let them both grow up. Waiting is perhaps the most difficult thing in the world for me. I hate it. Phillips Brooks was once seen pacing around his house and he was asked what was the problem. He answered “I am in a hurry and God is not.” God is not dominoes. He does not deliver in 30 minutes or less.
BE READY JUDGEMENT IS CERTAIN. V. 30 b If this life were all that we had, then the problem of evil would be insurmountable.

The real wheat allows us to know that there is false wheat. Without God how would we know real evil? The atheist has the problem of good.
The promise of judgment shows that there is both hope and horror.

i. Hope for change. Change can only happen through Christ.

ii. Horror for evil. Are you ready?

Concl. Another parable. There once was of a dashing knight who longed to rescue his princess, who was imprisoned by a cruel enemy in the palace tower. He devised a plan and recruited two small friends to send her a message. First there was Claude Caterpillar, who was a hard-working fellow but crusty and sour. He started inching his way up the wall toward the distant window, but it was hard work. He grumbled that the sun was hot, causing him to sweat. Then the sun withdrew behind a cloud, it started to rain, and he complained even louder about the raindrops. Finally he heaved himself onto the window ledge, looked at the fair maiden, and said, “Hey, you, come over here. Are you the lady in distress?” She nodded. Claude gave her the once-over and said, “You’re kidding. You mean I climbed all the way up here for the likes of you? Well, the knight says to get ready, he’s coming for you at 5 P.M. sharp. Think you can remember that, or should I repeat it?” And off he went.

Next, the knight sent Bill Butterfly. Bill, too, battled the rain and the contrary winds. He had almost made it to the window when a bird came by and nearly ate him alive. But finally he fluttered in, landing softly on the lady’s finger. “Lovely and favored maiden,” he said, “the white knight loves you dearly, and tonight he is coming to rescue you. He asks only that you be ready at 5 P.M.”

The princess smiled and replied, “Thank you very much, Mr. Butterfly. You are very sweet, and I will be ready tonight when he comes. Claude Caterpillar already brought me the message, but tell me, why was he so disagreeable? He brought me the same news, but after he left, I felt worse than before he came.”

The butterfly replied, “Oh, you mean Claude? Well, don’t mind Claude. That’s just the way he is. I used to be that way, too, until I was transformed.”

HE THAT HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR