A World Full of Wheat and Weeds, Part 2

We're living in a world that's fraught with evil. The cosmos stands at odds with the Lord our God and His righteous purposes and plans.

It is a full-on system of thinking that has at its root that which is evil. And we must be discerning, detecting that which is anti-God and anti-Christ. Anyone who's tried to cultivate a colorful garden or maintain a plush green lawn understands the frustration that comes when a wicked weed springs up and spoils our hard work. Weeds seem to outpace our efforts to champion beauty. And wise are those who spot and remove the destructive growth before it consumes everything we've planted. Well, today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll reminds us that Jesus used this same metaphor in Matthew chapter 13, and it's filled with application for our times.

Chuck titled today's message, A World Full of Wheat and Weeds. He begins with prayer. May all glory rise to you, our Father, as we have heard sung. May all pleasure and laughter, all sorrow and trials rise to you. May our hearts be turned to you, our Father, and may your voice become the single most significant voice we hear deep within our souls. We're grateful, Lord, in this world that is so far away from where you would want us to be.

You are there. You have not left us. You will never abandon us.

In fact, you hold us in your hands. It's there we find comfort and security, peace and protection, hope and a reason to go on. I remember those today who sit in this gathering afraid, uneasy, struggling within over some issue, some heartache, some decision, some path they have taken that has led them in the wrong direction. I pray that you will use your word today in each of our lives to shine a light on the course we are to take and the decisions we must make. Make it clear to us, our Father, what it is you want from us and then find within us hearts of obedience and willingness to follow.

We realize, our Father, in this world in which we live that good and evil grow together and often we cannot tell the difference by looking or even by hearing and seeing. So we need the discernment you can give as you hold us in your hands and as you direct our steps. Now Father, I pray that you will use our gifts for the single purpose of spreading the message of hope to those who are hopeless, providing light for those who live in darkness and direction for those who are confused. Give us joy, our Father, in giving, remembering that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Knowledge those who represent us in places that are difficult, serving miles away, many of them in dark and dangerous places. Watch over them carefully, remind them that they too are held in your hands. We give our gifts as we offer this prayer with confidence in the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. And everyone said, Amen. You're listening to Insight for Living.

To study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll, make sure to download his Searching the Scriptures studies by going to insightworld.org slash studies. And now the message from Chuck about a world full of wheat and weeds. The workers come and they ask, since they were asleep that night, when the crop began to grow, verse 27, they say, Sir, the field where you planted the good seed is full of weeds.

Where did they come from? It's interesting that Jesus never explains the reason he and the Father allow evil and good to grow together. That's not explained here or in fact elsewhere. It's all part of the mystery of lawlessness that continues to grow. That there is always good and there is always evil and they grow together. And what's interesting is that we cannot tell them apart until later on. And so they ask the natural question, should we pull out the weeds?

And he quickly answers, no. Now that's significant because most of us when we see or hear that there is weeds along with wheat, we want to get rid of it. We want to get rid of the evil, get rid of the wrong, get rid of every bit of it as quickly as we can.

But he deliberately says in the story, no, no, let it be. In fact, 30 says, let both grow together until the harvest. The master, the farmer says, I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, burn them and to put the wheat in the barn. So there is a time of planting. There is a period of waiting and then there is the ultimate climax for the crop and that is the harvesting of the crop.

Leaving the crowds outside, verse 36 begins, Jesus went into the house. Probably this is in Capernaum and it is a house perhaps where he is often gone for rest and relief and his disciples are in there with him and there they say, please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field. Notice they're not asking about the wheat. It's the weeds that concern them. The good crop we understand.

Why the weeds? What do they represent? What is this about? So Jesus takes them through the story one point after another. To begin with, the farmer is identified as the son of man.

So whatever else the story is representing, the main character is Jesus. He is the one in charge of the crop. He's the one watching over the harvest. He's the one who knows the plan for the growth and ultimately what to do with both weed and wheat. The son of man is the farmer.

Now I want to pause at this next one because it becomes extremely more complicated. The field is the world. You and I tend to think at that moment of the globe, but it's not about nations.

It's not about the globe. This is the cosmos. One man writes, the cosmos is the sum total of human life in the ordered world, alienated from and hostile to God and of the earthly things which seduce us from God.

Pause right here. Much of what comprises the world is unseen. It is intangible. It has to do with dark powers that are at work, evil influence that seduces, that attracts, but looks so much like the good, the necessary, the best part of our world. But the definition goes on to describe this which seduces us from God. It is the ordered system of which Satan is the head. His fallen angels and demons are his emissaries in the cosmos. And the unsaved of the human race are his subjects.

Much of this world system, don't miss this, much of the world system is A, religious, B, cultured, C, refined, D, intellectual. But it is anti-God and it is anti-Christ. Before I go further, what we have which makes it complicated is the unseen forces of evil at work. In the midst of the world we know that's familiar to us, what we can touch, what we can see, the material world around us, but behind the scenes there are these influences represented in the weeds that are in the field which is the cosmos.

I go a little further and again ask you to listen carefully. Another man writes, the cosmos is all that floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations at any time current in the world which it may be impossible to seize and accurately define, but which constitutes a most real and effective power. Being the moral or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we inhale, again inevitably exhale.

This is the world system. I pause so that you can let the picture emerge in your mind. It is a full-on system of thinking that has at its roots that which is evil, but you don't know it when you are around it inhaling it and exhaling it because it seems just like that which is good and necessary, just a part of life since as we read the wheat and the weeds grow together looking alike, but they are nothing at all alike. The cosmos stands at odds with the Lord our God and his righteous purposes and plans. I say again, he does not explain why he is pleased that they dwell together. He simply permits it to go on together and we must be as we mature discerning so as to realize the difference between the two detecting that which is anti-God and anti-Christ. Let me show you a perfect example. Turn to 1 John chapter 2, not the Gospel of John, but way over toward the end of your Bible in the letters of John, there are three of them before Jude and Revelation.

Go to the first letter, chapter 2. We are still on the subject of the field, the world, the cosmos. 1 John 2 verse 15, do not love the cosmos. There it is. Nor the things it offers you, for when you love the cosmos you do not have the love of the Father in you.

And now he amplifies it. Because the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from the cosmos. One more verse. And this cosmos is fading away along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

The realm of the cosmos is the realm in which we live the unseen world of evil. It is not politically correct even to refer to good and evil in our day of political correctness. By the way, I heard Dr. Ben Carson on a radio interview. You are aware of Dr. Carson and his commitment to Christ. And he was being asked about our times. And while on the subject, he got into the subject of political correctness because someone brought it up and he said, I want to pause right here. This is not an exact quote, but as I recall, this is the general meaning of what he had in mind.

We must steer clear of political correctness. As he put it, it's all part of the system that gets us to thinking like those moving in the wrong direction or something of that nature. And I thought perfect example of what is described in a definition of the field or the world.

This is the cosmos. We are surrounded by it. Motives are drawn from it. Decisions are made in it. And without the discernment that the Spirit of God gives us, we can easily find ourselves at the mercy of evil. Thinking it is good. Now, back to Matthew 13.

I know there's more you'd like to be said on that and I'd like to say on it, but stay with the story. Jesus says the field is the cosmos. Next we read the good seed represents the people of the kingdom. This would be righteousness.

Those who represent the righteous cause, those who know the Lord Jesus, those who walk with God, those who represent him privately and in public. These are the people who love God, walk with him. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. Not surprisingly, one of the common beliefs of our day, especially among intelligentsia, is the thought that all thoughts of a literal devil are stupid, foolish, and ignorant. Jesus teaches here that the devil is very real.

In fact, is the one who plants the weeds among the wheat. You see, here's an example of where you will allow the scripture to guide your decisions, your thinking, the opinions you form, or the system in which you live. And the longer we live in the system, the greater will be the influence and the magnet to draw us in. I'm not saying everything in the world around us is evil, but I'm saying the world itself is saturated with evil influence.

Perfect illustration of that. I take you back to 1 John, but this time chapter 5, if you don't mind turning, look at verse 19. Then we'll go back and stay in Matthew 13. Look at 1 John 5, 19. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us, there is a word again, the world around us is under the control of the evil one. Under the control of the evil one. One of my mentors now did, under whom I learned much and served for a number of years, Jade White Pentecost used to translate, used to paraphrase this, the world lies in the lap of the evil one.

It's a pretty good description. The cosmos is his thing. He permeates it.

He works through it. He has his representatives, some of whom, back to our definition, are religious, some of whom are cultured, some are refined, and some are intellectual. One more, I said I wasn't going to go anywhere else but I have to take you to 2 Corinthians 11.

I want you to see this as an example of the enemy and what he is able to do and how he is able to appear. 2 Corinthians 11, 13. These people are false prophets. Notice they're false, I should say false apostles. They are deceitful workers. They're apostles but they're false apostles. They're workers but they're deceitful workers. They disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.

But I'm not surprised. Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Every time I read that, it puts a chill down my back.

Right now it's happening. There are those who come across as workers for good but in fact they are representatives of evil. And you cannot tell the difference by looking. It takes time.

That's why they grow together. In the growing together we learn, we discern, we realize, we form opinions based on what the scripture teaches, not what comes naturally to us, or we learn from those of the world system. You're listening to Insight for Living.

Our Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll titled today's message, A World Full of Wheat and Weeds. And to learn more about this ministry, please visit us online at insightworld.org. In light of the complicated issues facing our country and world today, it's possible you've come to a place of discouragement, perhaps even fear.

And quite candidly, your trust and confidence in God's sovereignty is waning. Well, let me recommend a helpful book Chuck has written that'll bolster your confidence. It's a tremendous resource for yourself or perhaps for someone you love who is going through a challenging time. I'm referring to Chuck's encouraging book called Finding God When the World's on Fire.

Watching the news on television or scrolling through our favorite news sources online does little more than fuel our fear. Well, Chuck shows us how to replace our worries with courage as we allow the truth of God's Word to fall onto fertile soil. And you'll find all the details about Chuck's devotional book at insight.org slash offer.

Or call us if you're listening in the U.S., dial 1-800-772-8888. Again, it's called Finding God When the World's on Fire. Well, Chuck, just a little over a year ago, our staff at Insight for Living huddled together trying to figure out how to navigate through the global pandemic. It was faith building, to say the least. And looking back, none of us imagined how God would provide what's needed to sustain this ministry. Yes, Dave, you would think that nonprofits like Insight for Living Ministries would suffer losses during a global pandemic.

But I'm pleased to give you this report that's not been our experience. God's people have stepped forward to help us meet and sometimes even exceed our expenses. And if you're among those who have given a recent donation, we are deeply grateful to you.

The experts might say that charitable giving goes down during uncertain economic times. But we believe God has accomplished his sovereign plan in his way and in his time, regardless of what the experts may say. And defying conventional thinking, God has blessed Insight for Living Ministries in ways we never expected and could never have predicted. Now, lest you assume that we're flush with resources and no longer need your support, let me clarify this.

I want to dispel that notion right away. Financially speaking, we are completely beholden to the listeners who rely on our daily program. That's the way it works. We have a shared partnership that started back in 1979 and continues to this day. And our goal for the June 30th deadline is impossible to reach without the partnership and participation from friends like you. So, as you measure the value of this Bible teaching ministry in your life, and as God calls upon you to share his message of grace with others, please follow his prompting and give whatever amount God places on your heart. We always give our contact information at the close of our program, and today is no exception. Please get a pen and jot down how to get in touch with us. Then join me in our shared vision to declare the gospel in all 195 countries of the world.

How exciting that is. Thanks so much for your part in this. And here's how to respond to Chuck Swindoll. The most convenient way to give is to go directly to insight.org slash donate, or use our convenient mobile app. We'd be pleased to take your personal phone call as well. If you're listening in the U.S., dial 1-800-772-8888. That's 1-800-772-8888. Or give online at insight.org. Thank you.