(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:”
(Matthew 13:25) But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
(Mat 13:26) But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
(Mat 13:27) 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?
(Mat 13:28) He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
(Mat 13:29) But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
(Mat 13:30) 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.
Introduction: Over in the Holy Land there is a plant called the bearded darnel. Its a poisonous grass, which, in appearance, is almost totally indistinguishable from wheat; while the two are growing into blades.
It is only when they come into ear that they are clearly distinguishable.
One day as Jesus was teaching….He, no doubt, pointed to a field of wheat just into blade and He said, “You see that field of wheat”? “Everything looks green and genuine, doesn’t it”?
The apostles said, “Yes, Lord, everything looks green and genuine”.
The Lord said, “But, its not all wheat is it”?
The disciples said, “Well, no”.
Jesus said, “What else is growing”?
The disciples said, “Well, everyone knows, all the farmers have problems with the bearded darnel; the tare, the noxious weed.
Jesus said, “Those tares among the wheat are a picture of the kingdom of heaven……the entire Christian domain……the whole realm of professing Christianity.
He said “the wheat……that’s true blue believers”.
He said “the tares?……..that’s the look alikes……..the person who puts on the act so well that you can’t tell him apart from a true saint”.
He said, “They look so much alike…….you can’t tell them apart.” No one is qualified to really tell who they are…….they come so close to the real thing. No one will ever know who they are until Harvest time when only God can tell the difference.
Now, folks, a few times in the Word of God, the Bible presents a truly sad predicament.
The saddest of all……..and I’ve searched the Bible for years……….there’s none more sad……than the TRAGEDY OF THE TARE.
Please consider with me the tare in 4 stages.
- THE CONCEPTION OF THE TARE
Mat 13:25) But while men slept, his enemy ame and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Apparently the enemy had great confidence that his seed would survive because after sowing the seed, the Bible says, he went his way.
The enemy, that’s Satan, according to
(Mat 13:39) The enemy that sowed them is the devil;……….
The enemy seeks to place unsaved professors among the truly saved. He does it in every New Testament church. The one the Lord Jesus pastored had a tare in it.
The tare is born when the spirit of Satan RAPES the Word of God and produces a false professor.
Paul speaks of “believing in vain” in 1 Cor. 15:2.
Illustration: One of the ways it happens is when someone prays something like this, “Lord, IF I’m lost save me.” There is no such thing as a “just in case” salvation in the Bible.
Illustration: Another way it happens is when there is a profession without repentance. Old time preachers of yesteryears said, the missing note in modern day preaching is repentance.
How important is repentance?
(Luke 13:3)………except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
The old time preachers used to say, “Turn or burn, repent or perish”.
They were right! The most horrible declaration any preacher will ever say is this but say it they must, “Without repentance from sin and a fleeing to Christ there is fire in your future”.
By Divine Inspiration, the Apostle Peter wrote:
(2 Pet 3:9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Have you noticed that the well known TV evangelists who hold city wide crusades seldom or never use terms as: Saved! Repent! Redemption!
Its, “make a commitment to Christ”…………..a non-Biblical statement.
Or they will use the word “Decision”
Or “Give your life to Christ.”
You see the reason they won’t use Bible terms is because they want to ease the sinner into a profession……….doing nothing to humble or offend the flesh.
May I say, even in New Testament Churches, where BIBLE terms are used, you still get a few spiritual mishaps.
You’ll not get saved unto God does a work of repentance in your heart and you get slain before God and by His power…….He brings you unto Himself.
The Bible says:
(Ephsians 2:8) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(Eph 2:9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.“
Salvation, the Bible way is not in:
Preacher, or people (It’s the Person of Christ.)
Water, wafer or works (It’s the Word)
Church, catechism, or Charisma (It’s Christ)
You say preacher, I’ve been baptized. Didn’t that save me?
| You can be Baptized, Catechized, Civilized, Homogenized, Pasteurized Americanized, | Eulogized, Canonized, Glamorized, Hypnotized, Sanitized, Customized, Naturalized, Modernized, But you will never be saved until you repent of your sin and invite jesus Christ into your heart to save your soul. |
You say preacher, I thought I got saved when I joined the church. You can
Join and Rejoin, But you will never be saved until you are BORN AGAIN.
The Bible says: (Luke 19:10) “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.“
Now, if it was God who brought you; you came to Christ:
- In an attitude of repentance
- In an attitude of surrender
- Convicted of sin.
- Knowing you were lost
And when you arose you were SUBDUED before God……desiring to obey God, as Paul, of whom it is said upon his conversion in:
Acts 9:6 “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?“
And the reason a handful of our church members cannot UNLOCK the secrets of a Bible centered and Christ honoring life is because they don’t have the KEY of salvation.
11. THE CONDITION OF THE TARE
(Mat 13:29) But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
I.e. The reason you can’t root up the tares w/o rooting up the wheat is because you can’t tell them apart!
Did you catch that? He says the tare looks just like the wheat!
Now, hang on to your seat! The tare is NOT someone who looks out of place…….among the wheat.
The natural setting of the tare appears to be among the wheat not thorns.
The tare (are you ready for this). The tare is not the highly questionable church member about whom you keep on asking yourself, “Is he/she saved? They sure don’t look it or act like it.
The tare is not the false professor who sees everything cross-eyed.
The tare is not:
- the grump
- the slanderer
- the non-tither
- the gossiper
- the busy-body
- the critic
- the rebel
(And, in all likelihood, these aren’t truly converted people)
But the tare (And this is the heartbreaking thing here), the tare IS LIKE THE WHEAT.
The wheat is like the ideal church member and Christian.
The tare is like a faithful member in all areas of the Christian life just like the wheat.
The tare is found among faithful members. Are you ready for this?
Could be:
- a sweet pew filler
- A choir member
- a Sunday School teacher
- a tither
- one of the most cooperative and supportive members of the church.
The tare is not someone you stand in doubt of……….its the one no one would question………..no one here could pick out a tare……….no way!
111. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE TARE
(Mat 13:30) 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.
Now, what happens to the tare? You say, well, the tare, gets saved
The Bible tells us that the tares get burned.
But I do know this. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO END UP THAT WAY.
You say, but why, preacher, why won’t the tare, why won’t he or she get saved?
More than anything else……….it’s one thing. PRIDE, PRIDE, PRIDE!
IV. the CONCLUSION OF THE TARE
(Mat 13:36) 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.
(Mat 13:37) He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
(Mat 13:38) The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
(Mat 13:39) The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
(Mat 13:40) As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
(Mat 13:41) 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;
(Mat 13:42) And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
There is hope for the tare, they can be saved.
If the tare is unsaved……..being almost a perfect church member…….then what about the constant critic? The unhappy, scowling, bitter, uncooperative, censoring, non-tithing, church member?
If the tare isn’t saved……………I can assure you, there is a spiritual problem somewhere with these.
Illustration: Years ago, a watchman who was in charge of a RR trestle that spanned a deep canyon saw the bridge swept away by a mighty flood.
In a short while the midnight train would come thundering by.
Taking his red lantern, he made his way down and crossed the canyon on a footbridge and walked a good way up the tracks to meet the coming train.
In a little while he heard the rumbling of the train.
In a few moments the train came around the corner. Its floodlight lit up the tracks.
The watchman began waving his red lantern. The engineer was to sound
the whistle when he saw the waving red lantern.
But there was no whistle and the train came barreling down the tracks.
The watchman jumped aside and just as the train came speeding by he literally threw the red lantern into the face of the engineer and shouted……… “FOR God’s SAKE, STOP.”
FAITH - HOPE - FORGIVENESS by Growing Older 