C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR April 7th, 2019 : Topic – Eternal Plan of God for Man.
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C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Eternal Plan of God for Man.
April 7th, 2019.
II. THE END WILL COME (Matthew 13:27-43)
The end of a thing is better than its beginning (Ecc. 7:8). The end is talking about the conclusion, final aspect of a thing. After the end, there is no more show. Yes, how a thing ends matters and determines whether it is successful or not. It is good to think about the end.
A. THE GROWING TOGETHER OF NOW (vv. 27-30)
Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn” (v. 30).
i. vv. 27,28: Here, we see the mixture of the good and the bad seeds (wheat and the tares), and how it was almost impossible to identify them. The Master was asked whether they should uproot the tares.
ii. v. 29: The Master, in His wisdom, prevented the servants from uprooting the tares, and said that they have to be there for some times. Jesus said that they could not do it that way.
iii. The evil/wicked people cannot be separated or driven out of the church in the sense of expelling them totally, for now. They are going to keep co-habiting with the godly ones for now. Why?
iv. God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish (Ezk. 18:23,32; 2 Pet. 3:9). To God, every sinner is a potential saint. However, it doesn’t mean that sin shouldn’t be exposed, with the teaching of the Truth. And we are not to allow those who exhibit clear forms of error to take leadership in the church.
v. No human efforts is going to eliminate these errors; they have to grow together. These are sons of the evil one in every church who talk and act outwardly like Christians, but have never genuinely yielding to the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 3:5). They represent the doctrines of demon in the church.
vi. The good and the bad are to grow together in the church until the harvest, but your remaining the kingdom child and ability to counter errors /wickedness depends on your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
vii. God has decided that evil and good seed should simultaneously grow on the field (the world). He could weed out the tares, but He decided to let them be, till the time He had decided for separation. The children of God should seek God’s grace to remain true, unmovable, and steadfast, until the end.
B. THE HARVEST IN THE END (vv. 39-43)
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness (v. 41).
i. vv. 39-53: This world has a definite end, according to the Scripture. Our Lord is looking, all is ripe and ready, both good and bad. At the harvest, every man reaps what he sows.
ii. v. 39c: The reapers are the angels (servants of God) that the Lord will send forth to harvest the world.
iii. vv. 40-42: The tares (sons of the wicked one; the unredeemed) shall be gathered out and cast in the fire of Judgement and hell. Though the good and the bad are together in is world undistinguished, at the harvest, they shall be separated.
iv. They would be bound in bundles. Those who are associated with sin and hypocrisy will be in shame and sorrow, fire, where will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, comfortless sorrow and incurable indignation of God. Brethren, beware, harvest of the earth is certain (Matt. 13:39; Rev. 14:16).
v. 43: Heaven is the barn. All God’s wheat (His Kingdom children) shall be lodged together in God’s barn, eternally secured. Those who shine as light in this world that God may be glorified, shall shine as the Sun in the coming world, that they may be glorified. Why will you miss this?
vi. There shall come the time to which all the prophets have looked forward towards when all the earth shall blossom like the rose, men shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into proving hooks, and there shall be no more war across the face of the earth.
vii. The harvester is selective and error-free. The bad seeds would not be mistaken for the good ones. It is common for the culprit to become the discharged that would not be under the judgment of God, because no one would bribe his way in. What you sow you shall definitely reap.
LESSONS DERIVED
1. That we live in the same world with the wicked shouldn’t make us follow the multitude into ungodliness. Patiently endure the pains of being separated. Our Lord comes to take us home, soonest.
2. Where do you stand? Is the seed of God growing in your heart as a child of the Kingdom? Your sincere answer to these questions will determine whether you will enjoy good harvest or harvest of wrath. Think and work on this.
QUESTIONS
1. In the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, mention and explain three of the principal actors.
2. Explain the seriousness of both the seed and the weed growing together before the harvest.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWER TO QUESTION 1:
The principal actors in the parable of the wheat and tares:
i. The sower of the good seeds: This is Jesus Christ who is referred to as the Son of Man.
ii. The enemy: The enemy that came to infiltrate the good seeds with bad ones is the devil. He is the planter of bad seeds. We see his activity in the Book of Genesis, how he infected man with sin. Devil has never stopped showing bad or evil seeds in people’s lives, marriage, ministries, e.t.c. His seeds of dissension, division, disobedience, falsehood, e.t.c, are evident in the lives people. Christians must beware.
iii. The field: The field is the world, where the two seed are planted. By God’s discretion, the two seeds would grow together, until the final harvest time. Jesus could have taken believers out of this world when He was living, but He decided not to do so. They have to grow together, until the prescribed day of people are dying daily to meet their Maker. That is harvest in a way. Yet, a day has been predetermined, when the earth shall be fully harvested.
iv. The tares are the evil seeds; the sons of the devil.
v. The wheat are the good seeds; the children of the Kingdom of God.
ANSWER TO QUESTION 2:
i. It is a serious matter to allow both plants to grow simultaneously. This means great harm and danger for the good seeds. Yet, God has the power to sustain and keep the good seeds from corruption and contamination.
ii. Practically, no experienced farmer would allow weed to remain on the farmland to grow with the choice plants. That is why they do weeding regularly, before the harvest.
iii. Weeds usually usurp the nutrients that are meant for the full development of good seeds.
iv. A times, they cause stunned growth or kill the good plants.
v. Yet, God has decided to make his children and the evil one to co-exist, until the final harvest. Does that suggest wickedness on his part? No.
vi. The presence of His children would indict the children of evil one, so they can face their judgment without excuses.
vii. The children of wickedness would serve as test to determine the authenticity and reliability of God’s children. They shall be commended eventually for staying true to their profession, as children of light.
LIFE APPLICATION
There were two friends sometimes ago, who were been battered by life’s situation. For four years, after graduation from the University, they could not secure jobs. One of the two decided to seek means to make ends meet. He decided to join a gang of armed robbers who were syndicates in kidnapping and various ritual acts. He did against the counsel of his friend. Two years later, the two stumbled on each other. The wayward one, in affluence tried to convince the other to join his nefarious lifestyle, he tried to persuade him to guilt suffering as he heaped the blame of their joblessness on the government. Rather than consenting, the upright one tried to prevail on him to desist from the act, since God is gracious and merciful to still save him. He would not listen anyway. He had gone far in his evil way. A year later, the steadfast friend stumbled on another friend from the same school where he graduated. As God would have it, he decided to help him; he eventually got him a job. A day later, resuming in his place of work, he heard on the news the name of his former friend, who had been arrested, half-dead, from a crime scene. The children of the wicked one may continue to gain upper hand presently, but that shall not last. He who laughs last, laughs the best, so they say.
CONCLUSION
So far, we have enjoyed the grace of God and His awesome presence in this wonderful and life-changing and faith-building lesson. God has shown us why He has allowed the believers and the children of the wicked one to live together for now (temporarily) in this world. We have educated that very soon, there shall be separation. The wicked people would be where they belong, and we the children of light would be with the Father of light. Nothing should make any of the children of light adopt and adapt to the habit and style of darkness. May God strengthen you. This is the end of this lesson. Remain S child of God to the end.
DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING FOR WEEK TWO
Mon. Apr. 1: The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matt. 13:24-30)
Tue. Apr. 2: The Good Seed: Sown by God (Matt. 13:27)
Wed. Apr. 3: The Field is the World (Matt. 13:28)
Thur. Apr. 4: The Good Seed: The Kingdom Children (Matt. 13:38)
Fri. Apr. 5: The Tares: Children of the Devil (Matt. 13:38)
Sat. Apr. 6: The Enemy and the Harvest Described (Matt. 13:38-39)