Weeds

by Pastor Bob Rasmussen

Good morning, we are grateful you are here this morning as well.

We are blessed to live in a place where we can share the gospel openly. Isn’t that amazing, do you ever just think how awesome it is that we have the Word of God. That we can read it, we can hear it, we can see what it does in our lives and what it accomplishes in other people’s lives. We can share it- we can do a remote bible study like pastor Mike did, we can post scripture, we can text it to each other. We praise the Lord for His Word, amen?

Prayer – Lord, we are humbled by your mercy, we are humbled by your grace and the sacrifice that you made to forgive our sins. We thank You for the Holy Ghost, our helper in every area of our life, including understanding Your Word. 

Lord, we understand and know that you are coming for your children again – the time is short. Help us sound the alarm for the unbelievers in this generation.

I ask that you would break up the soil of the hardened hearts of men and women so that Your Word will be received.

Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

In Jesus name, amen.

The last time I spoke we were in the book of Matthew, Chapter 13. We talked about the Sower and the condition of our hearts.

The name of that message was “Seeds”

I want to continue in Matthew with another parable. I texted Jeff that my title of this message, he does the Facebook posting which I am grateful for, but when I told him the title was “Weeds”, he quickly replied – don’t smoke it! Brother, I pray for you often…

So , we are going to pick up in Matthew Chapter 13, verse 24.

Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like” should really get our attention, because Jesus is speaking about this world and us, amen!

The parable should be important for our lives. We are living in the Kingdom of heaven. If we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, the parables about the Kingdom are important to our personal life and our walk with Jesus.

Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Again, Christ is speaking in a parable, which is revealing more and more of who Jesus is. Also, as I said before, he is using imagery that the people of that time would have a clear picture of in their minds eye. Farmers would sow grain; they would sow wheat in their fields. And sometimes if another farmer had an issue with another farmer, they would sneak in at night and sow a weed in the field of that farmer. 

It had to be something that happened enough that from what I read, there was a Roman law forbidding that practice of placing weeds in another’s field. The type of weed was called a Darnell Weed – which is some pretty nasty stuff.

Now, the present practice, in our modern time, the seed that brother Doug helps farmers with is most likely clean seed, and he helps with pesticides and herbicides and whatever else, so the problem is less of an issue now a days.

But back then, if someone planted that Darnell Weed alongside of the wheat, you were going to have an issue. The Darnell Weed is nasty. When it first starts growing, it looks like what the good farmer planted. So much so you cannot really discern which is which. It grows because it starts to suck the life of nutrients from that good seed. Its roots get intertwined with the roots of the good seed.

In the Darnell Seed, there is also a type of poison, if you would eat too much, it will kill you. And with this type of weed, if you try to pull it out, to rip it out, you would most likely pull out the good seed, the wheat right with it.

So what the farmers had to do was wait until the harvest, when both the good seed and the bad seed had fully matured. That is when they would separate the wheat from weeds. The weeds were most often burned for fuel or just burned away. Burned up. The imagery is intentional, that they will burn with fire.

So we have the good seed the farmer sowed, and the bad seed that the enemy sowed in the dark of night, and that bad seed is among the good.

Let’s continue in the Word.

31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 

We’ll discuss this one next time.

33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 

We’ll tackle that one next time as well.

34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Jesus is fulfilling prophecy by speaking in parables. 

Jesus is revealing truths, the things that were hidden or secret since the foundation of the world – he is now sharing all of this freely in His Word, and what a treasure His Word can be. The more I know about it, the more profound it is to me. And it tells me I need to pay attention, amen?

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

Jesus had just shared 3 parables, the parable of leaven. They are like, no, we don’t want to hear about that one. The parable of the mustard seed, that sounds amazing and powerful, but no – that one can wait.

They are saying we want to hear about the weeds. We want to hear about the bundles and that fire. What is that all about?

I do not think that the Word of God is flawed, so when this is pointed out, I am going to pay attention, amen? I love that they are asking questions, that they are seeking more. I believe this kind of behavior that Jesus is talking about when He gives the Sermon on the mount.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

That is a good pattern of behavior for us. That we are always seeking the Lord for insight. That like Jesus, we take a step back from the crowds and have intentional time in prayer and with the Word. Again, on Friday nights, you can join us in person or online as we share some scripture, some prayer, some intercession and some worship at our Soak service.

I am going to post on Monday for the upcoming service and if during the week, if there is something that you need prayer for, or that you need to have some believers come into agreement for something the Lord has laid on your heart – you can comment on it and we will definitely pray for and with you.

Regardless of when and where you do this, taking that time to seek Jesus for direction – Lord, speak to me about my heart, speak to me about my soil, my heart. Lord, where are the areas that I need to change. Lord lead me and Lord guide me. 

So Jesus answers them.

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

The Son of Man is used many times. It speaks to the character and reality of Jesus. It represents his humanity, it represents his humility, it represents his deity or Lordship, and the fulfillment of prophecy that he is God Almighty. 

So the Son of Man, Jesus, is the Sower of the good seed. He spreads His good seed, and the harvest are the redeemed believers, filled with righteousness, through His blood, through His sacrifice for the payment of our sin, in the field of the world. That’s us!

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I want to start embracing my assignment. With the knowledge that I know that I am sown by Jesus, I am getting a better understanding that I am right where He wants me right now. My parents were born when they were supposed to be. Same with the generation before, and the generation before that, amen? His intentional design and planting – and there is also an expectation that His seed will bear fruit, amen?  

And it can be in some areas the seed is more concentrated than others. So it might be more believers in one nation than another nation. But all around the world, he has scattered seeds, and there may be millions in one corner of the world and a few thousand in the other corner of the world, or even just a few in another area. But all around the world, Jesus takes his sons and His daughters. He reaps them by the gospel, and then he sows them back into the world. So everyone who has been saved – everyone one of you have been planted by the Lord Jesus Christ.

It doesn’t matter what city you live in, you need to know that you have been planted by the Lord and that you’re planting is not by accident. You’ve been planted with your gifts, you have been planted with your talents, and your abilities, your burdens, your kids, and you have been planted by God. Your planting is not by accident. You’ve been planted in this hour, for this season, for such a time as this. 

And in this season God calls us to be what?

A light in the world. Trying to be as much like Jesus was.

John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

That was Jesus talking and we are His seed in the world. Immediately, immediately after proclaiming He is the light what does He do. He acts! He heals a man from blindness. He opens his eyes.

Remember, we are living in the period of redemption – which has an ending when the Lord shall return.

So we need to do all we can to share the gospel and reach people before that time. We need to cure the blindness of the unrepentant, the unsaved.

And that saying the end is near? It is so true, because you can’t evangelize from the grave. You can’t share the Love of Jesus with family and friends when you are no longer here.

You can’t sow into the kingdom when God calls you home. I want to focus my life on Kingdom work. I want to be involved in what is kingdom purpose driven.

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

This world needs a light. It is so dark. The enemy is celebrated right before our very eyes. The enemy has infiltrated every single area of our culture including our government, our schools, and even what some people call church. We need to flip that spotlight on now more than ever.

Our text said that the enemy, the evil one came at night and sowed that bad seed. Why? Because the enemy likes to start trouble in the dark places and try to be undetected. The enemy came at night because people were what – sleeping! When they are not paying attention. And those seeds that the enemy planted are what Jesus called the evil ones.

So He is saying in this world, are sons and daughters of the devil.

And just as Jesus has planted seeds all over the world, we must be watchful, because the enemy has done the same thing.

He has planted in the same field, in the world. He has planted in those places like the government, planted in the schools, and even in churches.

And where the enemy has planted his seed side by side of God’s seed. Why? Because that Darnell type of seed looks just like what? The wheat. And as they grow, you may not be able to tell them apart. You could be a room in like this one and not even be able to tell them apart. (awkward silence)

I am not calling anyone in this room an evil one, but we have to be careful because there are some that are preaching a watered down version of the gospel that tries to fit the narrative of their sin pattern. Some churches are more concerned about filling seats than filling hearts with the Word.

The Word was not given to be conformed to this world. The Word is a not a way to bend the rules by leaving out the parts that are uncomfortable. 

Romans 12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

That is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ! I want to be transformed! I don’t want be that version of me before I met Jesus! I never want to go back to serving the evil one! If you aren’t serving Jesus, you’re serving the other guy!

And that person I was before I met Jesus – I didn’t care about anyone else, let alone their salvation. Everything I did was done for me, rather than love. I was a loveless man, with hardly any empathy – meaning I didn’t care at all what was going on in anyone else’s life but my own. Thank you, Lord, that I was born again in your image, from your seed, so that I can go out into this world and bring Jesus’s glorious light. Hallelujah and amen!

And I am not perfect, but I am still growing. And Jesus, in His love tends to His children, He helps us grow and helps us to shine. Through His Word and through His Spirit He speaks to us – but we have to be in That Word and in that intentional time with Him and just listen to what He wants us to do in the Spirit.

The uncomfortable truth for me is that until that time that Jesus comes back, we will all have to live with this evil in the world. We have to coexist, not as doormats, but aware – and we must understand that these evil seeds that are planted the enemy do what – the Darnell weed mimics wheat, amen? 

So, based on this scripture there are those who mimic or look like Christians. So look at the fruit in their life, look for the light in their life, look to their character, use that discernment that Jesus gives you.

Having this knowledge, of the evil in the world is an excellent opportunity when you are talking to maybe a family member or a friend about God and they are like, well if there is a God, why is all this bad stuff happening.

Sons of devil.

Why are there school shootings?

Sons of the devil.

Why is their murder, rape, drugs, and child trafficking.

Sons and daughters of the enemy.

But there will be a reckoning, and as we all know Jesus wins, amen?

Jesus acknowledges that there will be evil for a time, during this redemption period where He is gathering His sons and daughters, and He wants to save everyone, but it is a choice. A choice of whom will you serve this day, until that time comes.

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

He is going to send His reapers, His angels and they will snatch up every evil son and daughter. He will snatch up every corrupt politician, every false prophet, every blasphemous preacher. Every liar, every thief, every drug dealer. Everyone that does not call Jesus their Lord and Savior.

That’s some heavy stuff, it is – because time is running out for the lost. But take heart my friends. Stay the course!

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

I do not want to be in the path of the reapers and thrown in a furnace – I don’t like the heat!

I don’t want to pass on in this life apart from Jesus, I want to shine like the sun in the kingdom of Jesus! What a glorious thought!

To be with Jesus forever? Yes Lord and amen!

That is why I want to live my life as a light in the kingdom of the world, to serve Jesus and to help bring the lost sons and daughters of the enemy to the other team. The age we live in is an age of grace to be redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ!

Every day we are given by God is an opportunity to prepare for the harvest that will come. It should awaken our soul and remind us that we have work to do in the field for the kingdom of God.

Are we praying for the advancement of the gospel? Are we praying for missionaries and church planting? 

Are we spending intentional time in the Word and in prayer, seeking the will of God not just in our lives, but the will for what we should be doing in the world?

I have one last thing to say, and I never thought I would be that guy or person to say it – but if you know His Word, you will know that it is true:

The end is near!

Acts 2:38 is in the Word of God, and what it says is that you must repent, meaning turn away from doing evil, from serving the other guy and receive the grace and mercy of Jesus.

That you would be baptized, dying to your old self and be born again as a child of God. And there is a promise that you might be filled? No, and you will be filled with the Holy Ghost – and you will be brought into the kingdom of heaven as a good seed? To be a light in a ever darkening world.

What a wonderful promise! So on this day, whom will you choose to serve?

The altar is open, God bless and praise the perfect, glorious, unsurpassable, matchless name of Jesus. Amen.