The Parable of the Wheat & the Tares, Pt. 1 (03.05/2000)

excited about this passage because the only thing that makes me able to preach with excitement is is because I preach stuff

I'm excited about and so when I work on a sermon,

I'm working on the sermon for me and If the Lord lets some of that spill over on the congregation, that's wonderful.

And I hope he does but Today we're going to be in Matthew chapter 13 verses 24 through 30 and in verses 36 through 43

And we're going to discuss the parable of the wheat and the tares We're going through chap

Matthew chapter 13. At least that's where we're starting and we're teaching through the parables of our Lord and Last time we finished up the parable on the sword

Which is found at the beginning of the chapter and in order to understand this parable

We've got to go back and review a little bit of that so if you were not here for the last two or three Sundays where we discussed it then

You're gonna get a little review anyway, because you have to have that to understand the parable. We're going to discuss today

I could tell as I looked over my notes the last time this morning That there's no way we can cover all this in one session

So I've tried to put a start a stopping place in the middle for your sakes I can stand here all day, but it's not that easy to sit there and I understand that But the bad thing about that is some of the really exciting part is probably going to be pushed on out to next

Sunday So please try to be back for that because I don't want you to miss it and yet I know

I can't cover it all today But I've learned some fascinating things about this parable

Let's go back and review a little bit The wonderful thing about both of these parables the parable of the sower and the parable of the wheat and the tares the first two parables here is that Jesus explained them for us and Something's beeping.

What is that? Oh, it's time to wake up That's okay, but my ears are too good sometimes

Yeah, I get get out of the intro and get on into the message Okay, well these two parables are explained for us and let's go back and review a little bit

Look at chapter 13 and let's start with verse 1 the same day went Jesus out of the house and sat by the seaside

And great multitudes were gathered together unto him So that he went into a ship and sat and the whole multitude stood on the shore and he spake the word of the

Lord And he spake many things unto them in parables saying behold a sower went forth to sow now remember that phrase a sower went forth to sow because Part of the purpose of the next parable is going to be for the sowers of this parable

Now you're gonna find out in the next parable. The sower is not the same group of people But the new parable we're going to study today is for the sake of the sowers in this

Parable that was studied last time the parable the sower So let me ask you to review who who are the sowers in this first parable that we studied last time

Right God's children So the next parable that he's gonna tell is for the benefit of Us as we go out to sow now, how does the sower so it's explained very

Concisely here, but it gives a vivid picture Where are we supposed to sow?

Everywhere are we supposed to try to figure out who's gonna get saved and who's not Can we figure that out ahead of time?

No so What does it mean that we are sowers going out into the field and Or into the world and sowing seeds into the field.

What did the field represent? Do you remember in? The previous gonna be different in this parable. Unfortunately that the symbols change a little bit

But what does the field represent or the maybe I should say the soil what does it represent in the one we studied last?

No, you're getting ahead You're getting into today's but last time

The soil represented the hearts of the different people Different kinds of hearts now

God can look and see those hearts He knows when he's looking at a person when

Jesus was on this earth I'm thinking of the way he would look in the eyes of a Pharisee and say you are of your father the devil and And He knows these soils he doesn't expect us to know them but he expects us to sow seeds everywhere that's what we mean by witnessing

Taking the word with us as we go taking it everywhere and that is the commandment now the next parable

The one we're gonna start into today is for the benefit of those who are out doing that and it's to keep you from being

Discouraged how many of you ever been discouraged in witnessing raise your hand? I'd like to see that.

All right It can be very discouraging. In fact, if you go by the techniques of the worldly church today

You'll be extremely discouraged Because the Church of today in America The pastors try to put the responsibility on you to save the people and to get them baptized

I know a church not three hours from here that they have quotas for their students in their Bible College That they come back every

Monday morning and report how many people they got in the water In fact, we had one of them a couple young couple drive over here.

Some of you may remember this they drove over here They left me a note on my door. They said pastor

Mitchell have the water ready Sunday We will have people for baptism. I saw that Saturday and I'm thinking oh boy here they come because I knew who it was

They didn't even tell me but I knew which church they were coming from. It's in Longview and I'll tell you the initials of the pastor.

I don't want to mention his name, but his initials are Bob Gray And he's a kook

So they came up here Saturday and they found some place in town where they thought maybe people

Were unschooled enough where they would just go for anything people ignorant people and they went down that street and they began to Do what they thought was witnessing and they found some people and they brought them here

Sunday And they got very angry with me because I would not baptize them now they were all little children and They want me to baptize about six of them that morning and So I told them

I was not gonna do that without talking with the parents first And I went back that very next week talked to every mom of every child and in every case without Exception every one of those children had been saved in years earlier and already baptized and were happy in the church.

They were in Now The techniques today You're you're being taught sales techniques and I know because I was a businessman before I was saved.

I know about selling You're being taught how to sell Jesus and You're using techniques to go out and make people make a decision.

That's very dangerous Because you can't make them make that decision not if it's real

There's only one that can do that and that's Jesus Christ and Through the

Holy Spirit working together but what happens then if you go by that method if your method doesn't work you feel like you failed and At the same time you're being taught that if you don't go out and do this, you're gonna fill hell up with people because you didn't go witness to him as if God has absolutely nothing to say and who gets saved and who doesn't and So you are a failure

I'll promise you if you go witness that way you will fail Because you'll have all kinds of things happen.

Yeah, you can get them to dear Jesus come my heart So save me. Amen. Shake my hand now if you're my brother, okay

We'll see you Sunday to get baptized you go back knock on the door They'll be in there because you'll hear the TV But you'll hear footsteps going away from you and they'll never even speak to you again

And they'll be like they're angry with you the next time now. Did they get saved? No how do

I know that happens because I did it for years and it was very very discouraging and Fortunately for me one of the first things that I studied when

I studied the Bible as a brand -new Christian was the sovereignty of God It's just that you can forget some of those things when you're being taught every day that if you don't go win them

They're all going to go to hell. I Don't think Jesus said that he said of that which my father gives me

I shall lose how much Nothing you think God's gonna put you in control of that No way in the world, but are you supposed to sow seeds?

Everywhere you go now the Arminian will tell you that contradicts The people that believe like we do would never go witnessing

Because we believe God just saves who he wants to save and he's just gonna open the doors and they'll just walk in you know

And you don't have to do anything God has never worked that when's the last time you looked up in the sky and and you saw in writing up there

John 3 316 I want everybody down there to get saved and here's how God says very clearly in In the

Bible, I wasn't gonna give you the verse, but I don't remember the exact address That God worketh in us both to will and to do his good pleasure

He works in us He has given us his children the privilege of being a part of his work

And that's what witnessing is that's what prayer is we talked about prayer in Sunday school this morning brother

Otis said asked the question does prayer change God and The answer was no and You might have even asked the question does prayer change anything and the answer is no

But he's not asking the question. Does prayer accomplish anything if he had asked that question the prayer would be yes and The reason it does is because God has already said this is how the how the plan works

God has ordained what's going to happen. In fact, if you study hard enough, you'll see it's already happened

But from our point of view in time He has chosen to include us in his work and what prayer is why do you think

Jesus said pray in God's will? Whatsoever you ask in his will shall be done

Because that's the plan his will is the plan and the beautiful thing about the why am

I teaching the Sunday school lesson? I know we'll never get through this now Beautiful. I I just almost felt like we should have just done the

Sunday school lesson over and let brother Otis do it It was awesome, but pretty much all of you were here anyway, so I'm just doing it over for me but The the work of the

Holy Spirit in prayer It says we would not know what we ought to pray for now What do you get if you pray for you not what you're not supposed to pray for James talks about that You ask a miss.

What do you get nothing? But the Holy Spirit if you pray in the Holy Spirit, he will guide you into the will of God That's how it works.

It's the same thing in witnessing Just understand that witnessing is

Nothing. Jesus says without me you can do nothing. In fact, the only thing you can do is confuse people but Proper witnessing is just throwing the seeds everywhere

As the Lord directs you where you go in your life. You're gonna be where he wants you to be Now, let's look at this parable

Look at verse 9 here in in chapter 13 Jesus ended the very first parable with this phrase who hath ears to hear let him hear and Then his disciples came in verse 10 and asked the question.

Why do you speak in parables? Why don't you make it more plain so that everybody can be saved see they they believe just like modern

American Christians believe At this point, but Jesus instructed them and gave them knowledge to understand how it really works

They said to why do you speak this way in verse 2 in verse 11? He gives them part of the answer Anyway, he said because He said unto them because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven

But unto them it is not given and you should start out by asking Who's you and who's them because as we go into this new parable, we're gonna study today

You're gonna find out exactly who them is and who you are But he begins to teach them right here

It's for you to understand it is for them not to understand and it goes on in verse 11

I mean verse 12 whosoever hath to him it shall be given. What is it that these people have?

That will be given even more. It's this gift that was given in verse 11 You see the gift that was given in verse 11 was the ability to know

Now it's not the ability to hear everybody can hear But it's the ability to hear with Understanding and to know and to be able to put it all together put the pieces together

That is a gift that only comes from God and it is not given to everyone And you say well that's not fair talk to him about that If you feel that way

Paul answered that there were some people that told Paul that and they said God forbid

You know God forbid that you would question God God forbid that the clay

Would say to the potter. Why have you made me thus? now he goes on and he says this gift is given to you, but not to them and Then verse 12 is a very mysterious verse if you don't understand all this if you don't learn this first verse 12 doesn't make any

Sense and there are other places you remember the parable of the talent Where the poor fellow that buried his talent the master comes back says well that one

He has taken away from him and give it to the one that did. Well Have you haven't you wondered why that man?

Man, that's rough Well, this verse 12 says the same thing whosoever has to give them be given more but whosoever

Has not from him shall be taken away that even which he has The people of Satan that are alive on this planet today

You don't know who they are. That's why you're supposed to sow the seeds everywhere, but God knows who they are And those people do have some things that God's given them.

They've got life. They've got air to breathe water to drink They've got probably more money than you have

They're doing pretty well in this world in their view. In fact, they're doing so well in their view. They don't need

God never will But even that will be taken from them someday

Even what they have will be taken and those of you who have this gift and all of a sudden you have ears

That here look at verse 16, but blessed be your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear

You'll even be given more Hallelujah that gave me goosebumps even with the jacket on under this heat lamp

Well One reason that he told these parables then is because it is given unto you to hear them

Another reason that he told them is talked about in verse 14 where he quotes the

Old Testament says this is just fulfillment of this prophecy and in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says by hearing you shall hear and Shall by hearing you shall hear but not understand and seeing you shall see but not perceive

For this people's heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull and their eyes they have closed

You see they will be responsible and accountable for the fact that it says they close their own eyes but the truth is

The gift is not given to them How that works together is hard for a lot of people to understand

But it's not that hard to understand if you just go back to Adam and Eve in the garden and you realize that they did

Exactly what they wanted to do God had not told them they were gonna eat that fruit. Did he? He said if you eat it

He didn't tell him you are gonna eat it because I've already created saber -toothed Tigers with fangs this long and they're not gonna eat grass

Forever you're gonna eat that fruit and I've created buzzards for people in Texas and other places

To clean the roads off of dead things. So you are gonna eat the fruit. He didn't tell him that did he?

Don't you imagine though that when Adam named that buzzard? He's kind of wondering why is this dude here? Mosquito why are you here?

But God didn't tell him he was gonna eat that fruit, but was he Was he going to Absolutely, was there any chance that he wouldn't but was he responsible?

If you don't believe he's responsible look around the world today You'll see the results of that sin and the fact that man was responsible.

So it all works together and Yet the second reason Jesus taught in parables is because it says now this is this is amazing.

This is this is tough But look what it says in verse 15 for this people's heart.

Well, let's go down We've already gone to the place where it says their eyes they have closed But look at the next word in the middle of verse 15 the word lest lest Now I'm gonna let the

Holy Spirit teach you what this means. I'm not gonna try to go into it I just want you to think about it and Look what it says

They don't hear With understanding they do not see with eyes that can perceive the things of God because if they could

Lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and should be

Converted I should heal them But he said they won't because if they could

I'd heal them Now there's a group of people mentioned here that are not going to hear these parables

Because if they did God would save them, but they're not going to be saved So the first reason

Jesus spoke in parables is so you could hear if you have ears to hear But the second reason is so that those who were not supposed to hear could not hear

That's just as real as the first reason and just as biblical and just as much in the Bible It's not comfortable for American Christians today

You go back 50 years ago go all the way back to the 1600s as far back as I can go to read the earliest

Baptist confession of faith Baptists have traditionally always believed this but today they don't believe this anymore.

So this is heresy now So I'm admitting that I'm a modern heretic I'm called a heretic by heretics

That's a good person to have call you one Back, there's a professor at a place certain school

That has thinks that that's what I am and he's gone all the way from a different state far away to affect this little church

Right here in Texas as if that's his job what he's supposed to be doing He thinks I'm a heretic because we teach the

Bible like this right here now now, let's look at something else here, though Look at verse 16

But blessed are your eyes that see and your ears for they hear well

What is the whole purpose of Of or the beginning purpose of this parable is so that you won't be discouraged as you sow seeds and As we then come in and move into the next parable

We're gonna see that this this is just nailed down so strong that you will never Be discouraged by the enemy again as you witness.

So let's move into the next parable here as we think about this Parable we just discussed we remembered that the soil is the hearts of men remember that It's all discussed

Jesus does come back and explain this parable where he says in verse 18 hear you therefore the parable the sword explains it

He explains that the soil and when they're sowing the seeds the soil is men's hearts Therefore four different kinds of hearts only one out of the four did that backwards only one out of the four

Got saved Only one of the soils could receive the seed and bear fruit and be saved

Three out of the four did not now that's not meant to be taken as a statistic where you're gonna say

Well, God's gonna save 25 % of all the people in the world I don't believe you meant it that way But what he is trying to tell us is that everybody is not going to get saved

In fact far more will go to hell then we'll go to heaven Jesus said broader the gates

That open into hell and narrow is the way to heaven God has never kept that from us

But some of the modern Preachers would have us believe that the whole world is going to be saved and then the Lord's going to come back

And that's not the way it's gonna be the Bible actually says it's gonna be a great falling away from the truth Before he comes back.

So we see that the soil is the hearts of men and there are four different kinds Secondly, the birds represented

Satan and he was called the wicked It's interesting because that's the

Greek word poneiros, which does not mean It doesn't deal with his essential character as a wicked person that would be the word

Kakos in the Greek language nor does it deal with the idea that he was

Degenerated from his former state as Lucifer, which would have been the word Sapros. This is a unique Greek word poneiros, which means the evil

I'm sorry. It means evil in effect or influence So this name for Satan when you see him called the wicked it is emphasizing his evil effect and influence

Now this is what he's called and the birds represent this now Do you remember what the seed represented in the first parable give you a hint the

Word of God Do you remember who the sower was? That's us, right?

We already covered that now in this parable today. Some of these are going to change. Let's look at verse 36

Well, I'm sorry. Let's I've got it. I got ahead a little bit here. Look at verse 24 first.

I Want to read the parable first then we're gonna look I won't give you the answer until we read the variable. Okay All right

Look at verse 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 but while men slept

His enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way

But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit then appeared the tares also

So the servants of the householder came and said to him sir It's thou so good seed in your field from whence then hath it tares

He said unto them an enemy hath done this The servants said unto him wilt thou then that we should go and gather them up But he said nay lest while you gather up the tares you root up also the wheat with them let both grow

Together until the harvest and in the time of harvest I will say to the Reapers gather you together first the tares and Bind them in bundles to burn them that gather the wheat into my barn

Now he goes from there and begins to tell another parable Well after he tells a couple of more he comes back to verse 36 and explains this one

So let's take a look here and you're gonna notice immediately that some of the symbols change And it's very important to take note of it

Verse 36 then Jesus sent the multitude away and he went into the house with his disciples and His disciples came unto him saying declare unto us the peril of the tares of the field

Now, where would they be without their teacher? You think they'd figure out the spiritual truths of this where would we be without the

Holy Spirit? That's like a Mormon trying to sit down and read the Bible Or a

Jehovah's Witness or a Baptist Verse 37

He answered and said unto them he that soweth the good seed is the son of man

So now in the other parable the sower was us who is the sower in this one? Jesus The field is the world now take special note of this.

What was the earth? What did the earth represent in the other one? the hearts of men and In this one the field is the world now.

This is the word cosmos It means God's world, but I believe in the context here.

It's clear that it means the world of people Now The field is going to be the world

Well, I shouldn't say just the world of people is the world the people are into it. It really is the whole cosmos You'll see that in a minute, but it includes every human being in the world and it includes the whole world

This is the field into which this person is going to sow So we see now that the sower is

Jesus Christ in this parable and the field into which he sows is the world

The good seed are the children of the kingdom So now he's sowing two kinds of seed the good seed the children of the kingdom

But the tares are the children of the wicked one Now let's stop for a moment and picture what the seed is because in the previous one.

What was the seed? What were they sowing the Word of God in this one? What is being planted?

Sown People Pete well Christians and what else?

All right, you have two kinds of seed being sown here who are they being sown by who's the first one being sown by Okay.

Now, who's the second one being sown by? Okay, so the seed here are our people being sown into this world

Says in verse 39 the enemy that sowed them is the devil The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the angels as Therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire.

So shall it be in the end of this age the Son of Man shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things which offend and Then which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire

There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Then shall the right like I just heard y 'all hear that Hear that then shall the righteous shine forth as the

Sun in the kingdom of their father who hath ears to hear Let him hear. I Mean we're gonna even talk about a literal hell, but we won't get to that today

So we see that the symbols have changed just a little bit what we see in this story is we see the

Son of Man Going forth and sowing into this world his seed

Which are his people it calls them the children of the kingdom and we see the devil coming in at night in darkness

Shrouded by darkness and sowing his seed which are also people so we see very quickly here

We have two kinds of seed who can name them What's the first one? the seed of who the seed of the

Son of Jesus of God and the second seed is what kind of people and that's the seed of who the seed of Satan We see this very readily as we just barely get started in in this

One point I'd like to bring out that I learned This week it was really

Nailed home to me by the Holy Spirit Many many people teach this parable and the one about the good fishes and the bad fishes that we'll get to eventually that that the

That the parable represents the church And I've said this myself and I want to apologize.

I wish everybody I'd ever taught we're here today So I could tell him I made a mistake But I have said that this represents the church and in the church or represents

Christendom his way I used to put it I'll never say that way again But I used to teach it represents

Christendom probably got that from Scofield's footnotes because I think that's what he says and that the

Christendom has Wheat in it and tears and so every church is gonna have some wheat in it and some tears in it it's gonna be that way till the last day and It says very clearly that you're not supposed to root them out but you're supposed to let the angels do that in the end of time and There was there's one word that really caught my attention in this story and that's verse 38 the field is the world

It doesn't say the field is the church The field is the world in this parable not the church

It does not say that you're going to have wheat and tears planted in the church

It says you're gonna have that in the whole world in the earth so I do not believe this is a reference to the local church nor does this

Parable apply to the local church at all other than to encourage those who are sowing seeds as we'll see in a few moments

Since this does not apply to the church But to the world it does not mean that we are not supposed to root the tears out of the church

Now how many times have you read that parable and you thought about that and you thought well? What's appropriate?

I mean, you know, we don't want lost people in the church But we're not supposed to root them out lest we'll damage some of the wheat

And so you don't know what to do. And the truth is it's not even talking about the church.

It's talking about the whole world and What if anything is being said it is being said that as you go out sowing seed?

You should not try to eliminate the tears and not sow seed to them lest you might miss the wheat with your seeds

You're not supposed to try to pluck the tears out and say okay. We won't witness to them and Throw it only they're out there to people that are going to be saved.

You can't do that If there's any meaning to the local church, that's what it would be. But it does not mean that we're supposed to endure the lost

Inside the local church and it just doesn't mean that and yet it's taught that way an awful lot

Let's look at some proof of that in Revelation chapter 2 in verse 2 And it's like we learned in Sunday school this morning the

Bible cannot contradict itself So this Parable cannot be a reference to wheat and tears being in the local church or it would or let's put it this way

You may well have wheat and tears in the local church, but it's not telling us to be complacent about that It's not telling us just to let that be and let it be.

Okay Revelation 2 2 says I know thy works and I labor and I patience and here the

Lord is talking to the church at Ephesus and he's about to rebuke them and he says well, no,

I'm sorry in this particular church He's going to commend them but for this reason Thou can't not bear them what you're evil

Now, what does that tell you Jesus was commending this church for not letting there be evil people in the church

You cannot bear them that are evil and thou hast tried them you have brought them to trial in the church

You tried them which say they are apostles and are not and you found them to be liars.

He's commending them for that He says also that they hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which is the precursor of the

Roman Catholic philosophy He said you hate them and that's good So he was not telling them.

Well, just let them stay up in there Don't damage the wheat by getting rid of the tares now in the Church of Pergamos in chapter 2 verse 14 of Revelation It says but I have a few things against you.

So in this particular church, he's rebuking the church because he says Because thou hast there them

He's saying you have allowed these people to be in your church. You have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam Stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat sacrifice things sacrificed to idols to commit fornication

Also, so thou hast there them also that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans You see they weren't running the

Catholics out of there the Catholic philosophy they allowed it to stay in and Jesus rebuked him and Then the

Church of Thyatira in chapter 2 verse 20 I have a few things against you because you allow that woman

Jezebel to teach and to seduce my servants he he wanted her out of there, but they let her stay in and Then we see in Galatians chapter 2 and verse 4 brethren

Unawares were brought in Which came in privily to spy out our liberty

Which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage to whom we gave place by subjection

No, not for one hour So Paul didn't leave the tears running around the church

He didn't even let him speak for an hour. He didn't let him stay in that place one hour and So we see very clearly then that this parable does not mean that the wheat and tears grew up together in the local church

And we're supposed to not do anything to hurt the tears And on the contrary, we're supposed to drive the tears out now.

Let's look at some scripture And I can see this is the point we're going to end with in this particular parable

But let me let me end it with some scripture. Look at 2nd Corinthians 6 14

How is it then if we're not supposed to abide the tears in the local church, what do we do? What do we do to ensure that they don't stick around?

2nd Corinthians 6 14 First shows us that God does not want us to be yoked together with unbelievers.

Now would would a church membership be a yoke? It would wouldn't it be one of the strongest yolks there is in existence

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and and you've read this before what concord hath

Christ with Belial? What part hath he that believeth with an infidel very clear teaching now, let's take it a step further go to 2nd

Timothy chapter 2 Young people this is especially good for you to think about right here 2nd

Timothy chapter 2 because we guard you pretty the best we can from the world. You have a Christian school

You're in Christian homes. You're in a church that believes the Bible and yet you still have to take a look at this 2nd

Timothy chapter 2 verse 19 Nevertheless, the foundation of God stand is sure having this seal.

The Lord knows them that are his now Does does the Lord know the wheat from the tares? So is there a certain number of wheat and a certain number of tares

Is there a certain number of elect and a certain number of non elect if you want to put it in those battling terms?

I Think it's smarter not to and if Charlotte had been here, I would not have used the word I'll assure you that do not give her the tape

God didn't really elect. Anyway, that's in there from the human viewpoint There's never been a time when

God made a choice on that issue He knows his children and he's always had him in his heart. He's loved him forever

So there is no choice to be made and I hope you could learn that it's not a matter of him choosing some and eliminating

Others, it's just a matter of there's some that are his and have always been his forever Check out Deuteronomy 7 6 7 and 8 if you don't believe that now

He says here is he says I know who mine are look what he goes ahead and says here

Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity, but in a great house

There are not only vessels of gold and silver But also of wood and earth some to honor some to dishonor if a man therefore purge himself from these

That means the vessels unto dishonor. He shall be a vessel unto honor Sanctified and fit for the master's use and prepared unto every good work

So we see that we are exhorted not to fellowship with unbelievers But also if a person names the name of Christ, but is not right.

He is he is a vessel of What is this called a vessel? Well, let's just say a vessel into dishonor and He's out doing the same things that the world is doing and sometimes in youth work.

We find that God says stay away from him. He says purge yourself of them So there's no case of the

Bible saying to endure the tears or to let them stay around or anything like that Now let's close with this passage.

How many times have I closed? Not more than three yet three is okay. All right.

This is it then John chapter 6 verse 65. I Just want to end with this

John 6 65. How then do you deal with the tears in the local church?

Well, you don't have to deal with them God will deal with them if we'll do be faithful in one area

One area and that is with the Word of God and with truth So John chapter 6 65,

I want you to watch From the human viewpoint here. Jesus gets in a little bit of trouble if you were a bystander watching you'd say oh, no

He's failing look what happens and I want you to note the doctrine that he's teaching when it happens and He said therefore

Said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him by my father

What doctrine is that? Well, you y 'all using those fighting words, but That is what he's teaching, isn't it?

Can anyone come to him in and of their own volition? No, is anyone

Choosing Jesus is anyone really accepting Jesus All they can do is receive a gift of understanding

Remember we talked about that in the first parable. This is for those who have that he says Now he's teaching this parable

I mean this lesson Did only those that the father draw can come to me and look what happens in the very next verse 66 from that time

From that instant many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more

Do you think Jesus built the largest church in his day? Now he left that up to Peter I guess but Jesus sure didn't do it

And then he looks around and Jesus says into the twelve He looks at him says well, you're gonna leave too.

Why did he say that because they were thinking about? Now I want you to notice the pathetic answer he gets then

Simon Peter answered him Lord To whom shall we go? It's like Peter saying.

Yeah, I'd like to if I just find one person that I could follow I'd go But I don't have any other place to go.

So I guess I'll stay here with you Thou hast the words of eternal life and We believe and are sure that thou art the

Christ the Son of God at least he ended his his little statement Look a little bit better than it started

So what does the person have to do and what does the church have to do collectively to get the tears out?

Teach the word Just make sure you stay in the word and you know

You do not be pleasers of men in the sense that you kind of know what the world around you likes to believe

Doctrinally, and so you stick with that and you will not change anything from that Even if you see it clearly you won't change it because they won't like you anymore

Now if you have that attitude, you're gonna be full of tears and wheat all mixed together good fish and bad fish And we'll have a nice huge Mustard tree with black birds all in it

But if you'll just simply study with an open heart to the Lord and Say Lord my box my theological box that I have stuck you in is probably not completely accurate

Would you teach me some new things about you today? And then if you share those with people the tears cannot endure it the tears cannot abide the word

They can abide the religion now and in that stuff that pleases everybody those doctrines that are out there that are

Growing huge churches and making a lot of money for certain preachers They can abide that because it's mixed with just enough living.

That's what they eat. They eat that living And it spreads permeates.

I'm telling all the parables we're coming up to won't even have to teach him now but Now I'm gonna close with this

Let's stand and have prayer together Just stick with the truth and let

God do the work and you'll wake up someday and look around you'll say well This is who's supposed to be here and it may not be what you wanted

It may not be what the founder of our church wanted when he started this church. He wanted to build a mega church

Here it is Mega in quality not quantity Saved people.

That's the good part Let's pray together Dear father, we thank you for giving us

Your truth and for giving us the living Word Jesus Christ, who is the one who's the express image of your person the one who is the word who communicates your heart and mind to us and Thank you so much for his teachings.

Thank you so much for the fact that we learn here As we begin just the very first portions of this parable.

We learn that there are two seeds in this world the seed of Satan in the seed of the

Son of Man and they're both in the world and no matter how Hard we try to sow seeds and persuade we're not going to ever persuade a tear to become a wheat

Oh, they may look like one if we work hard enough And we may dress them up and they may grow right up beside the wheat and look like wheat for a little while But the

Word of God will Move them away So keep us in the Word we know in these last days

There's a great falling away and that's a mindset that we could be susceptible to If we're not very careful to walk in Christ and to be filled with the

Holy Spirit as we study so keep us that way Until the Lord comes back for us with that we ask above all things today that you would keep us that way in our church and in our families in our personal lives and Then secondly that we would be good sowers of seed and obedient to you and thank you for this parable that keeps us from being discouraged in your work and Help us to continue until the

Lord Jesus Christ comes back for us and we ask it in his name Amen, but we had to have another prayer brother