01.07. Bread for the Oven Fodder for the Fire

Bread for the Oven Fodder for the Fire?

Matthew 13:24-30 ; Matthew 13:36-43

    Today we focus on one of the best known parable that Jesus spoke. As we sit at His side today we hear Him tell the story we refer to as the parable of the tares and the wheat.

    Jesus in His own masterfully way sets forth a parable from the every day agricultural community. He tells a story about a man raising wheat that would probably be used to make bread. A part of the story is of tares, which was good only for the fire.

    The telling of the parable takes place in Matthew 13:24-30 . We are not left to speculate about the meaning of the different components of the parable because in Matthew 13:26-43 Jesus explains it for us.

I- While Men Slept: Matthew 13:25 a In the story you will notice the sowing of the destructive tares took place when the owner of the field was not watching. The writers of the New Testament warned to be awake because that Satan would slip in through the front door of the church house. Notice the following scriptures.

Jude 1:4 "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

Romans 13:11-12 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."

1 Corinthians 15:34 "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame."

II- An Enemy Came: Matthew 13:25 ; Matthew 13:39

    Who is the Enemy? We know that the enemy that came was Satan. Matthew 13:39 . When we sleep we know that Satan will come. Satan is the enemy as we well know. We see he is the enemy in at least three ways.

He is the enemy of God: Satan has been the enemy of God since he fell and was cast out of heaven. He has tried to derail the plan of God from the beginning. He induced Adam and Eve into sinning, he tried to destroy the line from which Messiah would come by killing Abel. He tried to destroy the line down thorough the ages but failed. He was behind the uproar of his crowd the cried crucify and lead to Jesus death. Every time however, God has triumphed over him.

    He is the enemy of the Church: He has tried to cripple the church with sin, strangle it with lies about others parts of the body. He has tried to convince people they can do their own thing concerning religion and that they do not need the church. He will say you don’t even have to go to church.

    He is the enemy of Men’s Soul: The great contrast to this is when we consider that God is not willing that any should perish but that all me should come to repentance and that Satan is not will that any come to God but all perish.

Luke 22:31 "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat"

1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."

III- Uprooting the Tares can Kill the Wheat: Matthew 13:29

How can we tell a counterfeit? It is said by studying the real thing. Satan however is into counterfeiting. He will try to convince you that you are saved when you are lost and that you are lost when you are saved. Satan has sown tares among the wheat of the church. Are you a grain of wheat or a tare? When we would uproot the tares than we would damage the good wheat. Why, because of the disturbance of the soil. Would you agree or disagree with this statement? Satan has many in the church who are a constant problem who are his tares. The early church had them. Notice 3 John 1:9-10 "I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence am ong them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church."

IV- There is coming a time of Harvest: Matthew 13:30 ; Matthew 13:39-43

    The picture that is given in this parable is one of strong words. Notice it says, "⁴⁰ … the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 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; ⁴² And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

    This gives us a picture of the judgment of the lost man that is to come. He will be cast into the furnace of fire and there wail and gnash his teeth. He will simply become fodder for the fire. When looked at from eternity a life that is not lived for God is simply a wasted life is it not?

Revelation 14:15-20 gives us additional insight into the judgment of God. "And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." God is not playing when it comes to judgment. Notice the scene of the great white throne judgment. Revelation 20:11-15 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. ¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

V- God alone Can Make Wheat from a Tare:

    Is there any hope? Oh! Yes, beloved there is hope. God is in the business of turning water into wine, and homes, into cars and food for the family. His is in the business of turning drunks into fathers and upright citizens. Turning drug addicts into drug counselors and wheat into tares. He alone can change you in the only way that will last. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ…"