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The Parable of the Wheat and Tares
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe wheat represents the good seed sown by the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, who places true Christians, the sons of the kingdom, in the world. These are baptized members of God's church in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, the saints, the elect, and the righteous. They are genuine believers who receive the Word of God, bear fruit, and grow in character despite personal defects. The wheat develops alongside tares, which Satan sows by stealth while people sleep, creating a mixed field that mirrors the visible church on earth. This intermingling allows false doctrine and counterfeit believers to infiltrate, yet the wheat remains protected until maturity because premature separation would damage the good seed. At the end of the age the angels, as reapers, gather the wheat into God's barn while the tares are burned, revealing the final distinction between the true and the counterfeit. The wheat endures sifting by Satan, as Peter did, yet faith is preserved through prayer and dependence on God. True wheat must examine itself to confirm its calling and election, oppose Satan's lies, and sow the Word in its appointed place rather than attempting to uproot the false. This process tests and prepares the wheat to become witnesses for the coming Kingdom, ensuring that spiritual fruit, not external size or structure, marks its growth.
Uprooting Righteousness
CGG WeeklyThe primary lesson of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares is relatively easy to see. However, an interesting detail appears in it that is easily overlooked.
Taking Care With the Tares
'Ready Answer' by Ted E. BowlingThe Parable of the Wheat and the Tares warns of false brethren within the fellowship. Jesus Christ exemplified how to interact with them in a godly manner.
We Are Not Just Going Fishing
Sermonette by Mark SchindlerThe Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) calls each person to come before God with a thoughtfully determined offering reflecting both physical blessing and spiritual growth.
Our Reasonable Service
Sermonette by Bill OnisickOne really cannot have proper spiritual health without maintaining a physical regime of diet, exercise, and rest. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves.
The Church, One Body
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's call to learn from the ant does not teach us to yield to a hierarchical system, but to participate in a community with the goal of edification.
Psalms: Book Two (Part Three)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughBook II of the Psalms was written largely by David and shows how he reacts to some gruesome trials by surrendering to God's redemption.
Walk By Faith Not Fleece
Sermonette by Bill OnisickGod mightily used Gideon, initially a timid man who required multiple signs from God, when he began walking more by faith than sight.
Are Things Upside Down? (Part One)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The USDA has paid costly subsidies to farmers and has mandated that they grow hybridized, gene-spliced corn and wheat, which produce a high gluten content.
Deuteronomy's Major Themes
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Deuteronomy is the heart of the Old Testament, with its words throughout the New Testament, providing a foundation of doctrine and an outline for entering God's Kingdom.
The Four Horsemen (Part Four): The Black Horse
'Prophecy Watch' by Richard T. RitenbaughOn the heels of the red horse of conflict gallops the black horse and its rider, commonly interpreted as famine. It also includes scarcity resulting from oppression.
John (Part Nineteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe key to the real abundant life is to follow Christ's example of forcing His will into submission to the Father's will, even to the point of death.