Intro: A) The Sentiments of Asaph in Psalm 73
B) We can relate to his questions. Why is it that evil is so prevalent and appears to prosper while those who do good seem to get trampled upon. And why does it seem that those who do evil seem to get away Scott free? Is there any hope for justice?
C) We find the answers to these questions in the parable that was read to us earlier this morning. It’s found in Mark 13 starting with vs. 24.
Matt 13:24-25 “Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.”
I. Now the first thing I want you to see here is that we are called to co-exist with evil in this world.
A. Notice how the wheat and the weeds are both located in the same field. Now it’s no surprise that we
live in an evil time and in a world that is filled with evil people.
1. Now evil is a term that many in our culture is not to fond of hearing. We dare not say that a person or a nation is evil lest we be viewed as judging them or being intolerant.
A) My sister used to have a dog who she eventually had to put to sleep, named Dee Dee. This dog would snap, bark and bite anyone who came into their house and when we said she was a bad dog, my sister would respond, “She’s not bad, just misunderstood.”
B) Well that’s how many view evil today…we say their not evil, we just don’t understand their viewpoint.
C) You might recall the ruckus that was aroused when George Bush in his state of the union address referred to the North Korea, Iraq, and Iran as an axis of evil. The same response was made earlier when then President Ronald Reagan referred to the Soviet Empire as the “Evil” empire.
2. The fact is that there are evil people in this world.
A) We have seen in our time some of the world’s worst dictators. Pol Pot murdered millions in the fields of Cambodia. Stalin executed millions of his own followers. Hitler, Hussein. Is there any doubt an anyone’s mind that these individuals are evil?
B) There are devious people who are agents of Satan in this world who lure unsuspecting persons into hell. It might be a classmate who takes you to a party and offers you drugs, they are attempting to lure you in and enslave you. It might be a college professor who takes delight in attacking established truths. He is devious. He knows that he is leading young minds astray, He knows that he is presenting an hypothesis as a fact, but he is out for reputation and he actually delights in destroying your faith. It may be an attractive but promiscuous woman at work, She is beautiful her personality is charming and the chemistry between you two is there and she knows that and she exploits it and tries to really boost your ego, but she is a deceiver, and whoever is led astray by that is not wise
C) These people want nothing more than to choke the wheat and to see it whither away. Paul warned the Thessalonian church of the same thing in 2 Thess. 3:2.
2 Thess 3:2 “And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith.”
B. Now the effects of co-existing in this world with evil is that we often suffer from it.
1. Many innocent victims suffer at the hands of evil people.
A) Headline this week of Brownsville, TX couple murdering their 3 kids, decapitating.
2. We also see it in the persecution of the things of God in our world today.
A) The Voice of the Martyrs says that we are living in the most persecuted time in history
B) Also we see the doing away of anything from the public square dealing with God.
1. The Alabama governor’s weekly Bible study classes in his Capitol office constitute what some local atheists are calling "Christian terrorism" and must be stopped, reports the AP. Gov. Bob Riley, a Southern Baptist, holds Bible study classes with cabinet members and his senior staff each Tuesday morning. No state business is discussed, says the governor’s chief of staff. But Larry Darby, Alabama director for American Atheists, said the classes are not truly voluntary. "It’s a form of Christian terrorism," he says.
2. A public radio station in Pagosa Springs, Colo. refused to air a local dentist’s underwriting message because it had the word ‘God’ in it, reports the Durango Herald. The motto of dentist Glenn Rutherford’s practice is: "Gently Restoring the Health God Created." Rutherford said it is not so much a statement of faith as “an acknowledgment that we don’t create health. "I was called and told that there was a meeting of the (radio’s) staff and they unanimously agreed that I can’t put the word ‘God’ in our sponsorship spot," he said. KSUT Executive Director Beth Warren declined to comment on specifics of the station’s business relationship with Rutherford. The station’s motto is, "Diverse programming for a multi-cultural world."
C) And anyone who stands for God suffers because of it.
1. During a recent honors forum at Mississippi University for Women (MUW), Dr. Nancy Bryson gave a presentation titled "Critical Thinking on Evolution" -- which covered alternate views to evolution such as intelligent design. Bryson said that following the presentation, a senior professor of biology told her she was unqualified and not a professional biologist, and said her presentation was "religion masquerading as science." The next day, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Vagn Hansen asked Bryson to resign from her position as head of the school’s Division of Science and Mathematics.
3. Another sad effect from this is that there has been a blurring between what is right and wrong!
A) Did you catch the TV Land awards this past week. One honoree was Barbara Eden from I dream of Jennie. She remarked how it amazes her to see the filth that is allowed on television today and to think that they complained because she showed her belly button.
B) Bob Vernon, former Assistant Chief of the L.A. Police Dept. warns a concept of parallel lines; he says that police were always supposed to conduct themselves a few rungs above society. The same is true of the church, if society is down here, we are to be up here. But there’s a problem, society is getting worse instead of better. But that’s where the parallel lines concept raises it’s head.
C) Society dips and slips, and if we’re not careful so does the church. Oh we stay a few rungs above the world, but the damage is done, compromise has occurred and we’ve slipped from the New Testament challenge, that you are a royal priesthood, a distinctive people, a people belonging unto God. And if we’re not careful distinctiveness and reverence give way to permissiveness and tolerance, and that which was reprehensible 50 years ago, becomes acceptable.
4. And as we see our society continually spiral downward, this is no time for the church to be falling asleep. Paul gave us a stern warning in Romans 13:11.
Romans 13:11 (Living) “Another reason for right living is this: you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of the Lord is nearer now than when we first believed.”
A) This is no time for us to just be content on sitting in the pews and this is no time for us to be just dabbling in the Christian faith. To much is at stake.
1. I’ll never forget the statement that a MTV executive made to Tony Campolo, an American Baptist Evangelist. He said, “We don’t influence 14 yr olds, we own them.”
II. This parable goes a long way in explaining not only the problems in our society, but also the problems within out church.
A) There is a show on ABC entitled “The Mole” and on this show contestants work together to win money but one of the contestants is actually working to sabotage the others. And the key is for that person to go unnoticed, to blend in with the others.
B) The same is true within the church. Not everyone in the church is there because they love the Lord. David Hannah is a preacher in Sumrall, MS and he gave me some advice when I first started pasturing. He said, “Barry, don’t complain when a person causes a ruckus in the church because by them doing that , you know exactly where Satan is at and you can keep an eye on him.” Now, I’m not going to say who I have my eye on this morning.
C) But the truth is that it is hard to tell. It’s not always obvious.
1. As wheat and tares first begin to grow, it is difficult to distinguish between them. Frankly, a lot of cults and “isms” also sound good at first. You cannot tell them from the real thing until about the twelfth or thirteenth lesson. Those are the lessons in which they introduce their false doctrine. Someone once said to Dr. McGee, “Dr. McGee, you should not criticize so-and-so. I listened to him, and he preached the gospel.” Well he does preach the gospel every now and then. But it is the other things he says that are in error.
D) Satan doesn’t want to stand out like a sore thumb, he wants to blend in. Go unnoticed. That’s why often times those who do the devil’s bidding may seem nice, pleasant, well meaning, even ideal.
2 Cor 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
1. Walter Mondale wrote that the pastor was an “inspiration to us all.” The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare cited the pastor’s outstanding contribution. We are told “he knew how to inspire hope. He was committed to people in need, he counseled prisoners and juvenile delinquents. He started a job placement center; he opened rest homes and homes for the retarded; he had a health clinic; he organized a vocational training center; he provided free legal aid; he founded a community center; he preached about God. He even claimed to cast out demons, do miracles, and heal.”
2. Where is this pastor and his congregation. They are all dead-literally. The pastor was Jim Jones and he and his 780 members of the Peoples Temple Christian Church all committed mass suicide together by drinking cyanide laced kool-aid.
III. So the Question we ask is, “If all this evil is taking place, why not just destroy it all right now?”
A. Well, we can’t because we can’t tell the difference.
1. Report from the Pastoral Search Committee
We do not have a happy report to give. We’ve not been able to find a suitable candidate for this church, though we have one promising prospect still. We do appreciate all the suggestions from the church members, and we’ve followed up each one with interviews or calling at least three references. The following is our confidential report on the present candidates.
Adam: Good man but problems with his wife. Also one reference told of how his wife and he enjoy nude walking in the woods.
Noah: Former pastorate of 120 years with no converts. Prone to unrealistic building projects.
Abraham: Though the references reported wife-swapping, the facts seem to show he never slept with another man’s wife, but did offer to share his own with another man.
Moses: A modest and meek man, but poor communicator, even stuttering at times. Sometimes blows his stack and acts rashly. Some say he left an earlier ministry over a murder charge.
David: The most promising leader of all until we discovered he was a "peeping Tom" and had and affair with his neighbor’s wife.
Solomon: Great preacher but our parsonage would never hold all those wives.
John: Says he is a Baptist, but definitely doesn’t dress like one. Has slept in the outdoors for months on end, has a weird diet, and provokes denominational leaders.
Peter: Too blue collar. Has a bad temper -- even has been known to curse. Had a big run-in with Paul in Antioch. Aggressive, but a loose cannon,
Paul: Powerful CEO type leaders and fascinating preacher. However, short on tact, unforgiving with younger ministers, harsh and has been known to preach all night.
Jesus: Has had popular times, but once when his church grew to 5000 he managed to offend them all and his church dwindled down to twelve people. Seldom stays in one place very long. And, of course, he’s single.
Judas: His references are solid. A steady plodder. Conservative. Good connections. Knows how to handle money. We’re inviting him to preach this Sunday. Possibilities here.
B) This is why we are told over and over to judge not. Because we don’t have all the facts.
1. Ed Dobson is senior pastor of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan and had to preach the funeral of his good friend ,Truman Dollar, who suffered from depression and had committed suicide. He said in his message that he would refrain from passing judgment because we would never know what was going on in his mind at that time and just how sick he was.
IV. But why doesn’t God just destroy all the evil right now?
A) The answer lies in the incredible love that God has for us. He is patient not wanting anyone to
perish. He wants to give us every opportunity to come to Him and settle the debt before it’s to late.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
B) And there have been wonderful examples of those who have been changed when we thought they
had no hope.
1. Chuck Colson, Alice Cooper, David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), but best known…Paul!
C) But the question asked by many is, “What happens to these evil people when they become good?”
1. The same thing that happens to you and me. They are forgiven and become new creation.
2. Yet the effects of their years apart from God still remain.
A) Dr. McGee once told a story about Mel Trotter, who was one of the great evangelists in his generation, held meetings for us when I was a pastor in Nashville, Tennessee. After a service one night, a group of them went over to Candyland. Everyone else ordered a big malt or milkshake, but he ordered a little glass of water. That was all. Mel Trotter was a converted drunkard and probably had sunk as low as any man could sink. He even had stolen the shoes, which the neighbors had bought, off the feet of his little dead daughter when she was in her coffin—took them out and hawked them to buy liquor in order to get enough courage to go to the funeral. You just don’t go any lower than that! Yet God had saved him, and he had become an outstanding evangelist. So as they were enjoying our malts they began to kid him because he had only a little glass of water. He said, “When the Lord gave me a new heart, He did not give me a new stomach. I still have the same old stomach that liquor ruined.”
V. Best rest assured, Even though it may seem that evil goes unnoticed here on earth, it does not do so in Heaven. There is coming a day when all evil will be reckoned with and the righteous will be rewarded.
Matt 13:40-43 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
A. This is what the psalmist Asaph saw as an answer to his dilemma.
Psalms 73:16-19 “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!”
B. His realization was that nobody gets away with anything. God is no wimp, and He is not
blind.
2 Thess 1:6-7 “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.”
Conclusion: 1) Now the only question that remains is this: On that day, in which pile will you be in…the wheat or the weeds?
2) The bible makes it clear that all have sinned and that there is none righteous. Not one of us in here is deserving of Heaven. No matter how good you may be.
3) And that’s because Heaven is not filled with good people, but rather with forgiven people. People who have been made clean by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.
4) There’s an old hymn I came across this week called “The Old Account Settled Long Ago”.
“The old account was large, larger every day, For I was always sinning and never tried to repay; But when I looked ahead and saw such pain and woe, I said that I would settle, and settled long ago. “When at the judgment bar, I stand before my King and He the book will open, and cannot find a thing. Then my heart will be glad, while tears of joy will flow, Because I had it settled and settled long ago.”
5) Won’t you settle your account this morning.
