Song: Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace With Lyrics Hymn - YouTube
Prayer:
Lord, we give you thanks for the victories of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We thank you that these were real victories, won in the dust and heat of our human struggle.
We thank you that they were victories of love, won not by the sword, but by patience in well-doing and by endurance of evil.
We thank you that they were victories not for himself, but for the benefit of the whole human race.
We thank you for his victory over suffering and pain, his power to release people from the bondage of crippling disease, and to make them more than conquerors over hardships.
We thank you for his victory over sin, disarming it and setting the sinner on a new course.
We thank you for his victory over death, enabling people to fall asleep in the sure knowledge of the resurrection to eternal life.
Because he is still the world’s great champion and conqueror, we gladly own our debt to him and our allegiance to him.
Amen
Song: Blessed Assurance
Reading: Matthew’s gospel, chapter 13, verses 24 to 30 and 36 to 43
Song: Come let us sing of a wonderful love
Come let us sing of a wonderful love - YouTube
This parable of the wheat and tares is a very hard-hitting story. We need to consider the truths contained within it.
In the days of the wild west, there were many gold rushes. On one such, a man spent his whole life looking for gold. He always thought that he would find that large nugget which would make his fortune. Eventually he found such a nugget, and was overjoyed. But when he got his large nugget to the assayer to determine its value, he was devastated to discover that it was only fool’s gold (iron pyrites), virtually worthless.
The message of the parable is that people can have the “Real thing” but that some are satisfied with a mere sham. They may believe that they have a real saving faith, and may convince others of this, but the reality is that they only have a sham, worthless.
Paul frequently tells us to examine ourselves, to test our faith. Jesus counsels us “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The background to the story is that Jesus was seated by the sea and teaching people in parables. The first, the parable of the sower is well known, and often preached on, but this second one is less frequently studied. What is is about?
We are told of a man who sows good seed, but an enemy sows weeds (tares) in amongst it. His servants offer to remove the weeds, but he says no. Leave them until harvest-time and we will sort them out then. At this point, the tares will be removed for disposal, and the good grain will be kept in the garner.
It is believed that the good seed represents the knowledge sown by the son of man (Jesus), and represents the children of God. The weeds represent the darkness brought about about by the evil one, variously referred to as; Devil, serpent, Lucifer or Satan.
The good seed, the children of the kingdom, are those who have a saving knowledge of Jesus. Those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and been saved. Those who have experienced new birth.
The enemy in the one who would try to hinder God’s rule in the world. This is done by tempting to disobey. The enemy is the liar, the deceiver, the Father of lies.
The Tares are weeds that resemble wheat. There are those counterfeit Christians who look and sound like Christians, but have never experienced saving grace.
How are the two groups to be identified if they look and sound alike? Those who are “wheat” seek to serve God. They acknowledge that they are sinners, saved by grace. They manifest the grace of God in their lives.
Those who are “Tares” can be more difficult, but they can be known by their fruits. Jesus says “how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” The wolf in sheep’s clothing will eventually give himself away for the masquerade that they are. The objective of the “Tares” is to hinder the kingdom, to sow disharmony and rebellion. They want pre-eminence, and to keep people away from sound teaching.
This then leads to wonder how the church should react to the “tares”. Well, don’t “gather” them. Harm may be done, the roots of the wheat and the tares may be intertwined, to remove one, will damage the other. The “tares” may hear God’s word and be led to repentance. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes, at the end of the world, he will harvest. There will be the great separation.
The “wheat” will be taken to the great barn. The righteous will shine like the sun in heaven. They will, be “safely gathered in”.
Song: When I survey the wondrous cross
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Tune: Rockingham - 4vv) [with lyrics for congregations] - YouTube
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