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Message Notes
Central Idea: Evil coexists with good, yet God’s judgment will ultimately separate the two.
Genesis 1:2
“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the deep surface, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”
Isaiah 14:12
“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once subdued the nations!”
If we are committed to the Father’s business and are willing to act as agents of redemptive reconciliation, we must ground our lives in these three scriptures that clearly outline the disciples’ responsibility of being contributing members of a Kingdom Upside Down: Matthew 7:13-14 MSG, Galatians 5:25-26 MSG, and Matthew 6:33 AMP
Matthew 13:25
“But that night as the workers slept, his enemy planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.”
The text highlights two crucial characteristics of the enemy’s tactics towards the followers and learners of Jesus Christ:
- The enemy planted the weeds at night.
- The enemy planted the weeds as the workers slept.
Take heart in knowing:
- Christ protects us against the attacks of Satan, even during our most vulnerable moments!
MAIN POINT:
Matthew 13:26-30 NLT
“26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. 27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. 29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
- The Kingdom of God’s Mixed Nature.
- God’s Patience and Judgment:
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
- The Danger of Premature Judgement.
- The Importance of Perseverance.
The power in the text:
Matthew 13:36-39 NLT
“36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus entered the house. His disciples said, “Please explain the story of the weeds in the field.” 37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.”
The kingdom of God acts as an alternative to the kingdom of this world. An “alternative” simply signifies another way; it presents a different idea. As God’s people, we are not bound by the choices this world offers. God has a unique plan for us—known as His kingdom agenda.
“Just as our culture and nation encourage us to continually recognize our citizenship in the kingdom called America, there exists another kingdom – a greater and more perfect one – to which we belong. It is the kingdom of God.” —Tony Evans