Trick or Treat, Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Liberals, Oh My What Shall We Do?
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24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’
Thesis/ Central Idea:
Something you should Know:
There are forces at work opposed to truth and God who will have momentary victories.
Something you should Feel:
Grace in your hearts for those taken prey by Satan, the world and the flesh.
Something you should Do:
Remain faithful and steadfast, never taking your hand off the plow.
Introduction:
Politics, Race and Religion have been divisive issues for as long as one can remember. They are tools of great benefit for the enemy, who uses them with cunning precision to cause a building up of the flesh. If you were to take a look at the works of the flesh in Galatians five, fifteen characteristics are mentioned. Ten characteristics of the works of the flesh are easily seen as weapons or schemes associated with Politics, Race and Religion for the enemy’s use. Those would be: idolatry; sorcery; enmity; strife; jealousy; fits of anger; rivalries; dissensions; divisions; and envy. I could make a case for all fifteen, but this lesson is not about the works of the flesh directly.
Politics, Race and Religion should be descriptive terms and not prescriptive. What I mean by that is labels, used such as Politics, Race and Religion should be mostly about general descriptions of sociology and philosophy in order to promote communication and positive forward progress for mankind. Politics, Race and Religion should not be prescriptive in the sense that it dictates how you act toward your fellow man and how you determine right from wrong; righteous from unrighteous. What should be prescriptive in your life is your faith. Faith in God and His Word is the ultimate and perfect prescription for how mankind should conduct themselves and the works of the flesh must be countered by the fruit of the Spirit.
A persons Politics, Race or Religion should not be the foundation to prescribe how I act to you. The prescribed method of response to anyone, ought to be based on Christ in me, my faith should be the determining factor. Instead we have allowed a persons Politics determine how we treat them. Politics, Race and Religion have developed schemes to eliminate opposing view points. Society has prescribed how people of a given race ought to be thought of and how they are to be treated. Different Races prescribe different things, which is a clear demonstration of error because Christ is not divided. Philosophies dictate the religious prescription for how people are to deal with each other, again is Christ divided? No, Christ is not divided showing once again the mistaken approach in dealing with each other in a particular way based on Religion is wrong.
Too many of us get our marching orders from Politics. Too many of us determine how we think of each other based on Race. Too many in the world base their righteousness based on their Religion. If we are honest too many gain comfort and Peace from the “P2R”. One should never gain their direction, comfort and peace from there Politics, Race or Religion, when you do that is the definition of idolatry.
[We need to realize first that originally man was created upright and that the garden was made righteous…]
I. The Vineyard was Planted Righteous
I. The Vineyard was Planted Righteous
Now consider our text, which speaks to the corruption of the garden of mankind...
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
So the garden and man was good.
Then things began to happen that brought weeds into the garden.
29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.
Those schemes can be described, identified, and labeled.
Those schemes in order to be corrected do not come from the schemes themselves, they come from God.
The schemes and the evil one have planted weeds in the garden.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
Now enmity is not God’s plan that causes the two types of offspring. You should understand that the two types of offspring already exist in Gen 3:15 the enmity will progress as they both try to have their way.
Enmity is the result of the schemes of “P2R”
The more schemes is directly related to the weeds in the garden.
Those schemes are ways of righteous different than the wheat which is God’s Word and Way.
The more things become difficult, the more they become low points in our lives, the more they produce schemes, weeds, and tares.
[God’s way is the only response which is intended to produce wheat and not tares…]
II. Responding to Valleys and Difficulties
II. Responding to Valleys and Difficulties
We have to judge our responses by whom it benefits.
Do your actions benefit God and righteousness or Satan, Self and unrighteousness?
Are your schemes/actions representative of agape love or is it more akin to self-righteousness love that does what is best for self?
Will your actions allow the experience of joy and rejoicing or will it promote the misery of depression?
Do your actions benefit peace or division?
Are your actions in line with patience or is it similar to worldly haste?
Do your actions benefit long suffering or temporal comfort?
Is your response one of Biblical kindness or is it more like judgement.
Is your response like God’s Grace and goodness, or is it more like the vengeful retribution of the world?
Can your actions be classified with steadfast faithfulness or more like impatient wavering?
The proper response to the weeds in the garden does not come from the garden. It comes from the garden maker, the creator of the garden.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
You see, what we think will fix things is immediately wrong no matter how good it sounds, if it doesn’t line up with the ways and the commands of the creator of the garden.
I know we all think our way is the best way, we even think our way is the only way.
We never consider that we are wrong, and beloved; we are all wrong; we have all sinned.
Schemes, tactics, policies, platforms, do not create wheat or righteousness, only God can do that.
We are all disobedient and we all need mercy, we all need grace.
Our schemes, tactics, policies and platforms trick us into feeling right in the midst of others being wrong, trick us into thinking we are right in the midst of others being wrong.
This approach allows us to become judge and sentencer of the accused, when all we really do is perpetuate the growth of weeds and tares in the garden of mankind.
[Let’s consider Paul’s words to the church in Rome…]
31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Our response must come from Christ in us, the faith we all need to mature in our selves so we can withstand the fiery darts of the enemy.
When we remove ourselves from the garden, we remove ourselves from the life the creator intends for us.
He will save us in the garden.
He will provide for us in the garden.
He will nurture us in the garden.
He will love us in the garden.
[Consider Jesus words in continuing our text, the parable He is trying to teach us…]
27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
[How you respond can play a huge role on how things go in the garden for you…]
III. Tares to Wheat
III. Tares to Wheat
Praise God there is a way to survive in the garden as wheat.
There is a way for you as wheat to not be choked out by the weeds.
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Certainly there is a way for man to be transformed from Weeds to Wheat.
There is one who can correct our schemes and straighten out our crooked path.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Let’s stop thinking worldly and discern the will of God.
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
The power to be transformed is in God.
We have the benefit of Jesus explaining our parable.
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
While the Kingdom is in the world, we must stay in the Kingdom.
That is God’s safe keeping place do not be enticed by the schemes of the evil one.
Allow God to work and remain steadfast and faithful.
5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
Conclusion:
We should trust that God always keeps His Word.
Yes in this world we will have tribulation. There are forces at work against the will of God.
Do not let those forces harden your heart, let them cause you to promote Grace and Agape.
Refrain from acting like weeds, become and remain wheat.
He who has ears, let him hear...
Invitation: