2. The Kingdom of God is like…

3. The kingdom of heaven is like…

4. a man who sowed good seed in his field

6. The kingdom of heaven is like “Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' “

7. " 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' “ (Matthew13:24-30)

8. 36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

9. 40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

10.  This isn't just a story about Palestinian agriculture.  It is an illustration of the phases in the establishment of God’s Kingdom, including both the current “mystery” and the final phases of God's kingdom (13:24a).

11.  The current mystery season:  Sowing season and preparation for the harvest  Both the weeds and the wheat WILL GROW together in the world until harvest time.

12.  The harvest time at the end of the age:  It will be the time to separate the weeds from the wheat.  Before that:  Christ’s Second Coming  The Millennium- The Kingdom of the Son  The Harvest (the end of the age)  The Kingdom of the Father= eternity

13.  “Allow both to grow together until the harvest.”  During the “mystery” phase of God's kingdom, it is not His will for His people to be separated or isolated from the world, otherwise He would pull them out of the world.  It is clear that both seeds will grow during this time. But they are very distinct from each other. It is necessary though that they grow in the same world side by side until the harvest time comes.

14.  During the current “mystery” phase of God's kingdom, human history will witness both the development of Satan's plans (the growth of the weeds) for humanity, and God's plans (the growth of the wheat)— which will culminate in Christ's return.

15.  At His Second Coming, Jesus will completely defeat Satan and his work among humanity, which was announced since Genesis 3:15

16.  In Matthew 24:6-9,12 Jesus describes the growth of Satan's work in human society—“the birth pains”, which will increase in frequency and intensity in the world.

17.  5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

18.  10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

19.  Matthew 24:6-9,12 Jesus describes the growth of Satan's work in human society—“the birth pains”, which will increase in frequency and intensity of WAR, “NATURAL” DISASTERS, RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION, and GENERAL IDEOLOGICAL DECEPTION.

20.  Jesus says these things will culminate in the appearance of Satan's counterfeit messiah—the Antichrist (24:15)—and a situation so terrible that only Christ's personal return will rescue humanity from total destruction (24:21,22).  This is the growth of the weeds.  The growth of the weeds will prepare the world for the appearance of the antichrist= the man of rebellion

21.  But this doesn't mean that Jesus has been absent or ineffective over the last twenty centuries or will be in the future years.  Rather, even as the enemy's plan develops, Jesus is sovereignly advancing this phase of His kingdom—by orchestrating the spread of the Gospel of the Kingdom through His followers to ethnic groups all over the world (24:14).  The Mustard Seed will keep growing.

22.  When every ethnic group has had the opportunity to hear this good news of the Kingdom will Jesus return to end human history as we know it by defeating His enemy and establishing His kingdom on earth.  This is the growth of the wheat. The last twenty centuries have witnessed the gradual fulfillment of this plan.

23.  This generation and the next generations have the greatest responsibility to finish the mission to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom to all nations.  The growth of the wheat is the major missionary enterprise the church has ahead of it and has to be engaged in, so the King will come.  That’s why the church HAS to seek His Kingdom first.

24.  How should this information and this parable affect our lives?  How should this affect the purpose of the church?

25.  The sons of the kingdom= the wheat  The sons of the evil one= the weeds

26.  The Bible insists (from Genesis through Revelation) there are ultimately only two groups of humans spiritually-speaking:  those who are “children of the evil one” because they follow him in his revolt against God and love the world  those who are “children of the kingdom” and love God and are obedient to Him.

27.  We are not automatically included in God's kingdom.  We start out in Satan's kingdom, and need to be transferred into Christ's kingdom (Colossians 1:13-14). “13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

28.  We are not born into God's family. We are born alienated and orphaned from God, and need to be adopted into God's family by receiving Christ (John 1:12). “10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

29.  To which human group do you want to belong?  The cool thing is that it is very easy to become a child of God's kingdom. All you have to do is personally receive Jesus as your Savior, and God adopts you as His child—regardless of your previous heritage.  Have you made this decision already?

30.  This parable also has a super-important lesson for the church—a lesson concerns the relationship God intends between the church and the rest of society for the time being, which is the mystery phase of the kingdom, the phase when the wheat ad the weeds grow together.

31. Why Why has Jesus allowed the sons of the Kingdom to stay among the sons of the evil one during this phase?  To allow the wheat to grow into all the world  To do the works of God and bring glory to Him  To oppose the works of the evil one

32. What are the Sons of the Kingdom suppose to do during this period when they have to participate of the same Society and life side by side in the same world? In the same family? In the same job? In the same culture?  To oppose the works of the evil one  To proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom: salvation, the kingdom is coming

33. How should the relationship between the WHEAT and the WEEDS be during this phase?  Total isolation?  Identification?  Influence?

34. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:19)

35. Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? (James 2:5)

36. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)

37.  18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.“ (Mat. 28:18-20)

38.  14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  MATTHEW 5:13-15

39. Jesus' followers are described as the "light of the world." Just as it would be pointless to turn on a light and then cover it up, it would be foolish if we accepted Christ and then made no effort to do His work in the world. Christians are to spread the light of truth on the world around them.

40.  So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (Philippians 2:15)

41. Be real and genuine wheat