SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
(Matthew 13:24-25) (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:" (25) "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way"
(Matthew 13:26-28) (26) "But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also." (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?" (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?"
(Matthew 13:29-30) (29) "But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them." (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."
(Matthew 13:36-38) (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." (37) "He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;" (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;"
(Matthew 13:39-40) (39) "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels." (40) "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world."
(Matthew 13:41-43) (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." (43) "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
PREFACE SUMMARY
Greetings, everyone. In the name of our Lord, I have prayerfully sought the Lord concerning what I could bring to the table in this message. It is crucial that we leave this gathering more determined and motivated to recognize the need for good leadership in our churches. I originally titled this message "The Tares, the Wheat, and the Harvest, but the Lord spoke in my spirit the words; "Seedtime & Harvest."
I have learned from years of experience to do things God's way, for he knows the past, present, and future. He knows whom he desires to reach through this message, and it is time that we realize that we have the power and responsibility to train people how to become good leaders, starting with discipleship and evangelism. We have witnessed the consequences of selfish, controlling leaders who refused to step aside and allow a younger, more energetic leader to take their place, leading to the loss of an entire generation.
The Sower in this parable (God) has sown good seed in his field for a healthy wheat harvest; however, in the night, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. When the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds also appeared.
In this parable, God did not root them up, stating that they may uproot some good plants with them, showing us that he allows the kingdom of darkness for a time to exist alongside his kingdom for a purpose. This patience of God, as shown in this parable, should instill a deep sense of trust and faith in his divine plan. He has long patience for the fruit of the earth, but the wicked will be uprooted and judged in his time.
Those sowing the seed of the Word of God share the Gospel with others, and the ground represents the hearts of those hearing the Word of God and how they respond to the message. The good seed that is sown represents all who believe and trust Christ as their savior and are recognized as wheat, while the tares are recognized as the seeds of the evil one that we call Satan.
Harvest time in this parable vividly reflects the approaching end of the Church Age dispensation. The holy Angels of God are the ones doing the harvest, and the spiritual truth Christ is revealing to his disciples is the ongoing struggle and colossal war between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. This truth should make us more vigilant and spiritually aware of the battle that is constantly taking place, fostering a deep sense of spiritual awareness and vigilance in our hearts.
