Don't Allow Weeds to Grow in The Church

The Parable of The Weeds (Matt 13:24-29)

Just to paraphrase the Parable of the Weeds, Jesus tells the story of a farmer planting good seed in his field. During the night an enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat. Of course both came up and the servants asked if they should go and pull up the weeds. The farmer said not to because the servants might end up pulling up the good wheat along with the weeds.

This is later explained that the wheat are the children of the kingdom and the weeds are the children of the evil one. Both are allowed to grow and live together until the judgment. Then Jesus will separate the good from the bad. The children of the evil one will go to their judgment and the children of the Kingdom into glory.

Often this is explained that the church will contain both children of the kingdom and of the evil one. Too may times it is used as an excuse to not properly exercise church discipline. However, Jesus clearly explained that it is NOT the case. In verse 38 of chapter 13 Jesus said, "The field is the world". He didn't say that the field is the church.
When you understand that the field is the world, it is easy to understand what he meant when he said that if the servants uproot the children of the evil one at the present time, they might end up pulling up the children of the kingdom.

In 1 Corinthians 5: 9-11, Paul explains that when he says not to associate with immoral people, he is not refering to the people of the world, but to those who call themselves believers but persist in immoral lifestyles:

"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people --not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat." 

Using a little imagination one can easily understand the implications if God judged the wicked now. The entire infrastructure we depend on would collapse. Food and fuel would not get delivered. The power would go out, and so on.

The point is that the church is not supposed to look like this. Rebellious sin is not to be tolerated within the church body. Of course, there will be unbelievers within the walls of the church buildings. And there should be. The fact is, almost all of us at one time were unbelievers attending a church gathering. The hope and goal is that one day every unbeliever attending a church gathering will one day become a believer as well. Or, if not, after a time they will no longer be comfortable and will leave. The church should not be a place where a "weed" can flourish as a weed. We are to be distinct. 1 Peter 2:9 says:

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

If the church looks like the rest of the world or allows herself to be contaminated by the world, it will not be able to declare his praises. Instead the church may be guilty of profaning his name among the nations just as the nation of Judah had done. (Ezek. 36:22)
May it not be said of us that we profaned God's name because we wanted to be like the rest of the world.
May God bless you.

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