October 24, 2010
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Weekly Schedule of Services
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Sunday: |
10:00 AM |
Bible Class |
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11:00 AM |
Morning Service |
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Thursday: |
7:00 PM |
Mid-week Service |
LET THE TARES GROW
Matthew 13: 24-30; 36-43
In this parable, our Lord is teaching the believer that in his kingdom there are good seed (wheat) and there are children of the devil (tares). Everything the Lord teaches us here is reason why every believer can be content not to concern ourselves with rooting up.
First, the Son of Man Sowed the Good Seed (Mt 13: 37)
Christ Jesus, the Son of man, is the good Seed in whom his children are good seed. In Genesis 3: 15 only two seeds are mentioned. One seed are the children of the devil--"thy seed." The only other seed is the one Seed of Woman, the Son of man. In Galatians 3: 16 the promises of God which were made to Abraham were made to one Seed, Christ, the Son of man. Christ is THE SEED, THE SON OF MAN who is as righteous as God requires. Christ is THE SEED, THE SON OF MAN who is as holy as God requires. Christ is THE SEED, THE SON OF MAN who is as faithful to the triune God as God requires. Christ is THE SEED, THE SON OF MAN who fulfilled the very spirit of the law of God, who laid down his life because he is the only Man who loved God and his neighbor as himself. Christ is the good Seed sown willingly by the Son of man himself (Jn 12: 24). His children are good seed by the SEED sown into us by whom we live in new birth through the Spirit of God. The children of the kingdom are so thoroughly one in Christ that we have no reason to worry that any harm will come by the tares of the wicked one growing up beside them.
Secondly, the Field is His (Mt 13: 24, 38)
Notice the word "his field." This world belongs to the Son of man. Christ Jesus purchased this field with his own blood. He is King of his kingdom. He is Head of his church. God is the Husbandman of his field. God our Savior will do right.
Thirdly, the Son of Man Does Not Sleep (Mt 13: 24-25)
He said that "men slept", but not HIM! The reason that the foot of Christ's children shall not be moved is because the one who keeps his children does not slumber (Psalm 121:3).
Fourthly, the Tares Are No Hindrance (Matthew 13:26)
Notice that the seed grew. Through the truth of the Gospel the Son of man shall plant, grow and fill his redeemed with fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God (Php 1: 11). "That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified" (Is 61: 3).
Fifthly, the Son of Man Says Leave the Tares Alone (Mt 13: 28-29)
Christ our Lord did not give authority to his servants to root up the tares. The wheat and the tares look too much alike. Unregenerate men can do works that appear much like the believer's works. And believer's can do works which appear much like the unregenerate. Matthew 13: 41 speaks of "offense" and "iniquity'. The offense of the unregenerate is the defilement of the natural heart (not born of THE SEED.) Though the works may be good (of themselves) every good work of the self-righteous man stinks, is disobedience and is rejected of God (Titus 1: 15-16). But you and I do not know the heart. Which would you have rooted up, Saul of Tarsus or Judas? Furthermore, the Lord may choose to use tares to serve his purpose. Judas was the planting of the wicked one all along. The Lord knew it all along. Yet, the Lord used him for a time because it served his purpose (Jn 6: 70).
Lastly, In the End the Son of Man Will Do What Only He Can (Mt 13: 39-43)
He shall send his angels to gather out the tares. But all his children shall be gathered unto himself; then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. So we see at least six good reasons not to attempt to root up any.
"He must increase; but I must decrease.”
The more I decrease, the more I delight just to stand before him and hear his voice. And the more I stand before him and hear his voice, the more he will increase before me and I decrease before him. Oh, let Christ increase and me decrease! We cannot be occupied with more than one thing at a time. Let us ever be occupied with Christ, and not with ourselves! The more we are occupied with him, the less we shall be occupied with ourselves. Humility is not something we cultivate. Rather, it is something that comes from beholding the Lord Jesus Christ. The more I try to be humble, the prouder I become. But the more I stand in his presence, hear his voice and behold him, the more I am occupied with him, the more humbled I am before him. — “He must increase; but I must decrease!” Don Fortner
The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth!
No lie is of the truth (1 John 2: 21). In every chapter of the book of Isaiah the LORD used a man to declare the truth of what he "shall" do. The same is the case in every chapter throughout the entire Bible. As time progresses through the scriptures, on a broad scale we see the LORD control the hosts of whole nations, along with the hosts of elements in space and in the earth. On a minute scale, we see the LORD turn individual hearts of men, even ordering the microbes of disease to go and retreat at his will. We see him send men with "thus saith the LORD" declaring beforehand the truth of what he "shall" do. Then we see the LORD work all things together bringing to pass exactly what he said he would so that his children know assuredly that God not only speaks the truth concerning what he "shall" do but the LORD is also able to perform it. How sad then for sinners to use the precepts of men which say the LORD uses less than truth when in the face of so many infallible proofs of power and ability, he who is Truth and can not lie declares, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment and her converts with righteousness" (Is 1: 21-27).
SERMONS
After clicking on the following sermon links you will go to sermon notes where you will find an option at the top of the page to access the audio.
Let The Tares Grow
The King and His Blessings
Healed!
ARTICLES FROM OTHERS
What Think Ye of Christ?
Are You Clean Enough to Meet God's Standard?
The Past and the Present
The Line That Cannot Be Crossed
PRINTABLE TRACTS
A Good Place to Rest and Raise our Young
Saved in Childbearing
A Letter to a Preacher
The Church Were Everybody is a Nobody
O Ye of Little Faith