(SERMON) Matthew 13.24-30, 26-43 Deep Teaching in Simple Parables

Jesus' parables are always deceptively simple but once we sit down and reflect on them they teach a whole range of things.  The parable of the Wheat and the Tares is one such parable.  In this short sermon we consider six different teaching that can be drawn from Jesus' words:

1)  Stay vigilant for the enemy comes at night.
2)  Weeds cans look like wheat - evil can look like good and only God can tell them apart for certain.
3) Not everyone is a Child of God instead many are children of the Evil One.
4) The Devil is real and we must arm ourselves to fight him in the spiritual realms.
5) Evil is here to stay in our societies and in our churches - we cannot completely run from it and make perfect communities
6) Hell is real and so is the righteous living for eternity shining with the Glory of God.

(SERMON) Matthew 9.9-13 Makes friends, don't compromise, stay humble

Jesus' meeting with the tax collector Matthew and what happens later at the banquet Matthew holds challenges us in three ways. Firstly, do we befriend and love the outcast and those living sinful lifestyles? Secondly, do we remain uncompromising in calling sin sin and calling sinners to repentance.  Finally, don't become deluded like the Pharisees into think you are spiritually healthy or righteous - instead live each day humbly at the foot of the cross.