Sermon Central
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More Weeds Than Seeds
Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Jul 14, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: We are the seeds from which the kingdom of God on earth will grow.
More Weeds Than Seeds - Matthew 13: 24 - 30, 36 - 43
Intro: At our house in Houston I planted flowers that Barbara called weeds. – They were, in fact, black-eyed Susans – Nobody likes weeds – dig, spray, fertilize – still there. – Sometimes it appears there are more weeds than seeds in our world.
I. Verse 25 – “while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat.” --- Let’s talk about weeds! (Here it is the weeds, tares, thistles and darnel – looks like wheat.)
A. Weeds confuse and often choke out real plants. Think it’s one thing and it’s something else. – like gossip.
B. Weeds produce no fruit but plenty of seeds – people who plant seeds of mistrust, apathy and negativity.
C. Just when you think you are weed-free, they appear again – people who always say the glass is half empty.
II. Verses 27 – 30 – “No let both grow together until the harvest.” Not a call for passivity in the face of evil.
A. Realistic reminder that the servants don’t have the ability to get rid of all the weeds without damaging the seeds.
B. Patience – God will judge when the “fruit” shows. – Jesus said you will know them by their fruit. (Mt. 7:16) Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves
C. Weeds will be destroyed – we are given the task of living as faithfully and obediently as possible.
III. Lessons to be learned from the passage.
A. There is a real, hostile power in the world seeking to choke out the good seed.
B. Hard for us to judge who is bad or good seed – It is not for us to judge. (Mt. 7:1) – pointing finger at others, three pointing back at you.
C. The only true judge is God who assures us that in the end we will all be judged by God.
Conclu: You and I are the seed from which the kingdom of God will grow and blossom. Telemachus – Christian who prayed as the gladiators for whom he prayed hacked him to death, single-handedly stopped the gladiator spectacles of Rome. - Others will learn from you and I what living the life of Christ means. . . “For the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Verse 43)
