Theological Status: COMPROMISED (Worldly/Sloppy)
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Pergamum
❓ What do these grades mean?
🔍 Biblical Discernment: The 7 Church Parallels
The Cold Orthodox Parallel
Ephesus
Teaching that upholds doctrinal precision yet parallels the loss of the "first love"—the vital, motivating power of the Gospel (Rev 2:4).
The Compromised Parallel
Pergamum
Teaching that parallels churches tolerating the "doctrine of Balaam" through cultural accommodation (Rev 2:14), characterized by weak boundaries, sloppy theology, and worldly compromise.
Why strictly "Mark & Avoid"?
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
🧐 Overview
Theological Verdict & Summary
Sermon Summary: In a world quick to condemn, God’s patience offers a unique opportunity for salvation. This message explores why we must resist the urge to judge and instead focus on our own hearts and the lost.
Pastoral Analysis: The sermon provides a solid ethical framework for Christian living, emphasizing humility and patience. However, it suffers from a critical homiletical imbalance by presenting these commands as moral imperatives without adequately connecting them to the Gospel's power. While the theological content is orthodox, the delivery risks reducing the Christian life to self-help rather than Spirit-empowered obedience.
Biblical Parallel (Archetype): Pergamum — The sermon exhibits a significant homiletical imbalance, leaning heavily toward moralism and behavioral commands without sufficient anchoring in the regenerating power of the Gospel. This reflects a teaching style that tolerates a 'works-based' approach to sanctification, characteristic of a church culture that has accommodated worldly methods of self-improvement rather than relying purely on Gospel grace.
Big Idea: Because God alone is the judge who exercises patience until the final harvest, believers are called to endure evil without self-righteous judgment, pursue the lost with compassion, and examine their own hearts for sincerity. [00:39:26 ▶️ 📄]
📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus
- Primary Text: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
- Usage Classification: Expository
- Text-to-Talk Ratio: High
- Pulpit Decorum: ✅ PASS - The language was appropriate and free of coarse terms or pejoratives.
✝️ Christological Focus: Moralistic/Imitative
"Christ is presented primarily as the Judge and the example of patience, rather than the source of power for the believer's obedience."
Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 39 | Referenced: 3 | Alluded: 2
📖 View 2 Passages Read Aloud
-
Psalms 139
[00:26:15 ▶️ 📄]
"O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways even before a word is on my tongue oh lord you know it completely you hem me in behind and before and lay your hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is so high that i cannot attain it where can i go from your spirit or where can i flee from your presence. If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed and shield, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say surely the darkness shall cover me, and night wraps itself around me. Even the darkness is not dark to you. The night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
-
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
[00:37:00 ▶️ 📄]
"Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed a good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore again, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? And he said to them, An enemy has done this. The slaves said to him, Do you want us then to go and gather them up? But he said, No, for while you are gathering the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest. And in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, first gather up the tares and bind them into bundles and burn them up, but gather the wheat into the barn. Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him and he said, explain to us the parable of And he said, end of the age, the Son of Man will send forth his angels and will gather out of his kingdom all the stumbling blocks and all who have committed lawlessness and will throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father. He who hears, let him hear."
Key References: Matthew 13:11-13, Matthew 7:1-6, Matthew 7:21-23
🎙️ Sermon Content & Delivery
Word Count: 1,590 words
📌 View 7 Key Topics Addressed
-
Parables and Revelation
[00:40:07 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor explains that Jesus used parables to reveal truth to those with eager faith while hiding it from the self-righteous, citing MacArthur and Matthew 13. -
Eschatology and Judgment
[00:43:19 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor details the symbolism of the parable, identifying the field as the world, the wheat as sons of the kingdom, and the tares as sons of the evil one, with judgment occurring at the end of the age. -
Divine Patience and Human Judgment
[00:44:49 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor argues that God delays judgment to preserve the wheat (believers) mixed with tares, instructing believers not to judge others but to endure until the harvest. -
God's Patience and Judgment
[00:45:35 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor explains that God delays judgment to save the wheat (believers) mixed with tares (non-believers), demonstrating patience rather than immediate eradication. -
Prohibition of Self-Righteous Judgment
[00:46:04 ▶️ 📄]
> Citing Matthew 7, the pastor argues that believers must not judge others ('nip it in the bud') but must first address their own sins ('the plank in your own eye'). -
Compassionate Evangelism
[00:47:21 ▶️ 📄]
> The urgency to seek the lost is driven by the reality of judgment, requiring a shift from viewing the lost as enemies to viewing them as lost children deserving pity and grace. -
Self-Examination and Sincerity
[00:48:34 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor warns against false profession of faith, citing Matthew 7:21-23, urging listeners to ensure their love for Christ is sincere and that they submit to His will.
🖼️ View 3 Illustrations & Stories
-
Sermon Illustration
[00:44:56 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references the character Barney Fife and his catchphrase 'Nip it in the bud' to illustrate the human impulse to immediately remove evil (tares) before God's appointed time. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:44:59 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor uses the analogy of the 'bearded darnel' weed, which is indistinguishable from wheat in early stages, to explain why God allows tares to grow until the harvest to avoid destroying the wheat. He also references the cultural trope of Barney Fife saying 'Nip it in the bud' to illustrate the human impulse to judge immediately. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:49:45 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor shares a personal anecdote, admitting that while he feels like a 'weed' most days, he lives in the confidence that he belongs to God, anticipating the harvest.
🚀 View 2 Calls to Action
-
Pastoral Charge
[00:47:21 ▶️ 📄]
> Make seeking the lost a priority in daily life. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:49:28 ▶️ 📄]
> Remain eager to God's word, listen for direction, and follow His call.
🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard
Overall Verdict: Compromised / Weak
| Category | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Gospel Presentation | ❌ FAIL | The Gospel Engine is compromised. The sermon failed to anchor behavioral commands in the finished work of Christ or the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, resulting in a moralistic exposition. |
| Soteriology | ✅ PASS | No explicit errors regarding salvation by grace through faith were detected in the doctrinal reports. |
| Bibliology | ✅ PASS | Scripture was handled with appropriate respect and context. |
| Hermeneutic | ✅ PASS | The exegesis of the Parable of the Tares and the judgment passages in Matthew 7 was sound. |
| Theology Proper | ✅ PASS | God's attributes of patience and judgment were described accurately. |
| Sacramentology | ✅ PASS | No sacramental errors were detected. |
| Confessional Depth | ❌ SHALLOW | The sermon focused heavily on practical application and ethical behavior, lacking deep engagement with the theological mechanics of grace and sanctification. |
⚙️ The Core Gospel Framework
What is this? This section checks if the sermon contains the essential building blocks of the Gospel. We look for explicit, substantive mentions of God's holy standard, human inability, and Christ's finished work on the cross.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
❌ The Law And Wrath: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ Total Depravity And Inability: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ Active Obedience Of Christ: Not observed in the sermon.
✅ The Cross And Atonement:
"as you demonstrated your ultimate love for us on the cross." [00:30:54 ▶️ 📄]
⚠️ Theological Concerns
🟠 Major Homiletical Imbalance (Moralism)
Root Cause: Moralism
The Belief/Behavior: These commands are presented as moral imperatives to be fulfilled by human willpower or ethical effort, without explicitly anchoring them to the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit or the finished work of the Gospel.
Why It's Dangerous: This reduces the Christian life to a system of self-help and moralism, leading the congregation to rely on their own strength rather than Gospel grace, which ultimately leads to burnout or pride.
Biblical Correction: For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)
✅ Commendations
Pastoral Sensitivity | Relatable Illustrations
The use of the 'Barney Fife' analogy and the personal admission of feeling like a 'weed' created a strong connection with the congregation, making the theological concepts accessible and humble.
Doctrinal Clarity | God's Exclusive Right to Judge
The sermon clearly articulated the biblical truth that judgment belongs to God alone, effectively countering self-righteousness and encouraging compassion for the lost.
📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)
Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.
[00:06:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:06:25] Good morning, Fairview. Happy Sunday. Glad to see everybody here today after a long week of VBS.
[00:06:35] Figured everybody would be tired, so it's great to see you here. A couple announcements before we get started.
[00:06:42] I'd like to send out a special thanks to the men who came out yesterday morning and bared the humidity and the heat to do our roadside pickup.
[00:06:51] up, so thank you to you gentlemen for that. Also a special announcement for today, after our service in room 204A, we'll have the youth helping to come pack our United Methodist Men backpacks, so thanks to them for showing up this afternoon after service. We also have a sign-up sheet
[00:07:14] in the narthex for nursery volunteers, and if you feel called to serve in this important ministry on Sunday mornings. We would love to have you. Please sign up in the North X or contact the
[00:07:28] church office or speak with Ms. Addison in the nursery for more information. Speaking of that, so I want you to please join me in congratulating Addison Fensel in her new role as our Director of Nursery Ministry and Thomas Danner in his new role as our Director of Worship Technology.
[00:07:49] so we're very grateful to both of them for their willingness to serve with their gifts and their time to bring to these important ministries please keep addison and thomas in your prayers as they begin these new roles and responsibilities asking god to guide and strengthen and bless them
[00:08:13] as they serve our church also following today's service if we can get some volunteers to help us with taking down the remaining decorations from our VBS, that would be great.
[00:08:27] So if you'd just stay in here and help out, that would be awesome.
[00:08:32] And then we also have some several unopened, I quote, unopened bags of nuggets and sausage left in the freezer from VBS.
[00:08:43] So if you'd like to take advantage of our miscalculation and make a donation to a children's ministry, Please see Ms. Crystal to take care of that.
[00:08:53] And then today we have one last important message here.
[00:08:59] We have a special announcement.
[00:09:01] Today is Ms. Crystal's birthday.
[00:09:03] So if you would join me in singing happy birthday to Ms. Crystal.
[00:09:29] And it's also who?
[00:09:31] Alan's birthday.
[00:09:32] All right, here we go.
[00:09:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:09:34] Happy birthday to you.
[00:09:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:09:41] so that was all the announcements official announcements we have are there any others that we need to to bring to front if not uh if you're visiting with us we are so glad to have
[00:10:07] you please make sure that if you're here with us in person that you get one of our visitors packets and there's some information about the church and information you could fill out a form a card in
[00:10:19] there so we can get to know you better. If you're joining us online, we are also glad that you joined us. Please go to the bottom of our webpage. There's a form there for also to send in some
[00:10:30] contact information so we can get to get you engaged here with the services at Fairview.
[00:10:36] With that, let's prepare our hearts and our minds for worship. In Fairview, please join me in our
[00:13:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:13:52] responsive call to worship. O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
[00:14:01] You have set your glory above the heavens. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, the stars that you have established, what are human beings that you are mindful of
[00:14:15] them, mortals that you should care for them, yet you have made us little lower than you, God, and crown us with glory and honor praise be to you lord of all let us worship and magnify your name
[00:14:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:14:32] number 507 in your red hymnal through it all we had vbs this week so to just give you a little
[00:16:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:16:19] bit of a rundown over the course of the five days of vbs we had about 45 kids come through the sanctuary in the church to learn about Jesus. If you helped in any capacity to put up or create
[00:16:33] decorations, could you please stand up so we can give you a round of applause? Okay. If you volunteered as a station leader, a crew leader, or any other, a kitchen helper, could you please stand up so we can give you a round of applause? Without any of the folks who just stood up,
[00:17:00] We can't make VBS happen because I can't have 45 kids just by myself and teach them everything.
[00:17:08] We had some wild ones this week and everybody deserves some rest.
[00:17:13] Now, if the kids want to come forward and we're going to sing Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, adults, please stand up.
[00:17:21] Also, I chose this song because it's one that most people will know even if you weren't at VBS.
[00:17:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:17:25] thank you for helping us guide these kids this week open their hearts and minds to you and your
[00:20:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:20:17] son helping them to bring in these school supplies to help other students who may not have it please let these school supplies go to people who need them and will learn and be willing to and open to
[00:20:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:20:29] receive them amen i'm into the father loves me song number 418 in your red hymnal we are climbing
[00:23:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:23:38] Jacob's Ladder. Please rise. Good morning. Today's first scripture reading is from Psalms 139.
[00:26:15] O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up.
[00:26:23] You discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways even before a word is on my tongue oh lord you know it completely
[00:26:40] you hem me in behind and before and lay your hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is so high that i cannot attain it where can i go from your spirit or where can i flee
[00:27:00] from your presence. If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed and shield, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
[00:27:17] even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say surely the darkness shall cover me, and night wraps itself around me. Even the darkness is not dark
[00:27:35] to you. The night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me,
[00:27:53] and lead me in the way everlasting.
[00:28:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:28:10] Good morning.
[00:28:13] Please join me in our affirmation of faith.
[00:28:16] I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
[00:28:33] was crucified, dead, and buried.
[00:28:35] The third day he rose from the dead He ascended into heaven And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Spirit
[00:28:51] The Holy Catholic Church The communion of saints The forgiveness of sins The resurrection of the body And the life everlasting Amen
[00:29:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:29:03] So as we go to this time of prayer, please note there will be times of pause for us to reflect and say individual prayers about those in our prayer list or those that are on our mind.
[00:29:27] And I ask a special prayer for Pastor Nathan that he will get well.
[00:29:32] So as we go, please let us pray.
[00:29:40] Lord, you are our creator.
[00:29:41] Let us not be blind to the majesty of your works within our world and within our lives.
[00:29:48] May we be eternally grateful for the precious gift of life and the relationship with you.
[00:30:00] Lord, you know everything about us.
[00:30:03] You knitted us in the womb and know every fiber of our being.
[00:30:07] And you follow us.
[00:30:08] You see us in every thought and every action.
[00:30:12] Help us to be mindful that as Christians, we are to be examples of your grace and love to others.
[00:30:25] Lord, you are our refuge.
[00:30:28] You provide safe harbor through the storms of our life, calm our fears, and see us safely through all struggles we encounter.
[00:30:37] Help us to remember that through you all things are possible and all things are set right in time according to your plan.
[00:30:51] Lord, you are love.
[00:30:54] You look to us daily as your adopted children and care for us as your own, as you demonstrated your ultimate love for us on the cross.
[00:31:02] Help us to remember that as we fail and fall away from you and your purpose from us, you are the father of the prodigal son who runs and welcomes us back with open arms when we realize the error of our ways and return to you.
[00:31:24] Lord, help us to remember your greatness as we pray the prayer you taught us to pray.
[00:31:29] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:31:34] thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us lead us not into temptation
[00:31:51] but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever amen as we take this time for a morning offering as the plate is passed by please pause and take a moment to reflect on the
[00:32:12] glory of God in your life will the ushers please come forward free and grace you have met us and blessed us with such an abundant promises in gratitude we offer what we carry in our hearts
[00:36:08] and in our pockets as we bring these worn and frayed offerings we pray that you would use them for we come to the name of jesus and by the movement of your spirit in this place
[00:36:20] amen please be seated so as you may have noticed i am not reverend nathan finzel nathan is uh feeling a little bit under the weather today so please bear with me for the next few moments um as we turn uh turn with me in your bibles
[00:36:43] to our second scripture reading of the book of matthew chapter 13 we'll be reading through the verses of 24 through 30, and then through verses 36 through 43. If you don't have your Bibles with
[00:36:57] you, that's on page 14 of your Pew Bible. Please hear the word of God. Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed a good seed
[00:37:11] in his field. But while his men were sleeping, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore again, then the tares became evident also.
[00:37:24] The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?
[00:37:30] How then does it have tares? And he said to them, An enemy has done this. The slaves said to him, Do you want us then to go and gather them up? But he said, No, for while you are gathering the
[00:37:42] tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest.
[00:37:49] And in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, first gather up the tares and bind them into bundles and burn them up, but gather the wheat into the barn. Then Jesus left the crowds
[00:38:02] and went into the house. And his disciples came to him and he said, explain to us the parable of And he said, end of the age, the Son of Man will send forth his angels and will gather out of his kingdom
[00:38:46] all the stumbling blocks and all who have committed lawlessness and will throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[00:38:57] Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father.
[00:39:02] He who hears, let him hear. This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
[00:39:09] Let us pray.
[00:39:14] Gracious Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight.
[00:39:21] O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen.
[00:39:26] So as we continue through the book of Matthew, this parable comes right after the parable of the sower that we discussed last week, which described the different ways in which the word of the kingdom is received by us
[00:39:39] and the way it grows in our lives depending on the condition of our hearts.
[00:39:44] This parable, like that of the sower, is also related to something that would have been very familiar to the people of Judea and is very relatable to us today.
[00:39:54] As most of you know, anyone who grows a garden, no matter what you're growing, you will contend with weeds.
[00:40:01] And I don't know about you, but I like it when Jesus teaches in parables.
[00:40:07] And it's been said a parable is simply an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
[00:40:12] and Jesus used them frequently in his teaching.
[00:40:16] Although the parables was a common way of teaching in Judaism because they were relatable, there was a specific reason that Jesus used them in his teachings and he explained this to the disciples when they asked him.
[00:40:34] Jesus responded to the disciples.
[00:40:36] He answered them.
[00:40:37] This is in Matthew 13, verse 11 through 13.
[00:40:41] He answered them, to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but for them it has not been granted for whoever has him has to him more will be given and he will have an abundance but
[00:40:56] whoever does not have even what he has shall be taken away from him therefore I speak to them in parables because while seeing they do not see and while hearing they do not hear nor do they
[00:41:10] understand. The parables were meant to be memorable, but more importantly, the parables were meant to clarify truth to those who were open and eager to hear. However, that symbolism was meant to hide the truth from anyone without discipline or desire to seek out its meaning. As Reverend John
[00:41:31] MacArthur explains in his study in the parables, he states, parables hid the truth from the self-righteous, the self-satisfied people who fancied themselves too sophisticated to learn from Jesus. While the same parables revealed truth to eager souls with childlike
[00:41:51] faith, hungering and thirsting for righteousness. So basically saying that as long as we are open and eager and willing to search the scriptures, we will learn the truth from the parables.
[00:42:08] For this reason, Jesus didn't explain many of his parables, in fact, most of them.
[00:42:13] But luckily, with this parable as well as that of the sower, the disciples didn't really catch the meaning, so they asked him.
[00:42:21] And I often feel like a disciple, these guys were not the sharpest hacks in the box.
[00:42:26] So I like to get an explanation from time to time.
[00:42:30] So I'm glad that they asked for clarification on this.
[00:42:33] So this is what Jesus replied to the disciples.
[00:42:37] So for this parable, the one who sows the good seed is the son of man.
[00:42:42] The son of man, as we know, is the title Jesus used for himself in the Gospels, and it carries the meaning of his human nature to highlight his humility and his suffering for mankind.
[00:42:55] The field, he said, is the world.
[00:42:58] This is not some far-off place or heaven, but this is that here, this world that we live in.
[00:43:03] the good seed or the wheat are the sons of the kingdom those who follow and obey him and seek to know him more abundantly hopefully that's us the tares are the son of the evil one the devil
[00:43:19] those who reject god and deny god or follow a path that leads away from god the sower he said was the devil and the harbor harvest will come at the end of the age by the angels who will gather
[00:43:36] up the tares and throw them into the fire. This is a very direct description of what's in store for those who choose a life of evil or choose a life away from God. So as we read through the
[00:43:51] parable and we listen to the parable, there's some important lessons we can take from them.
[00:43:56] First, Jesus proclaims that the field is the world, and this implies that the time is now.
[00:44:05] It's a time where evil grows alongside righteousness, meaning we shouldn't be surprised or disheartened when we see evil in the world.
[00:44:14] It doesn't mean we should like it, but it shows that we should be expecting that's how the world to be.
[00:44:20] But in this dark world, we are to be the shining light of hope, allowing God to nurture us and strengthen us in our perseverance so that we are better examples of his grace and love
[00:44:32] and demonstrating the even greater glory to the Father.
[00:44:38] Secondly, the time to gather up and remove the tares is not now, but it's to be done later at the harvest at the end of days.
[00:44:49] If you're like me, you're more like the servants, and you say, let's rip them up now before they become a problem.
[00:44:56] It's kind of like the great philosopher Barney Fife.
[00:44:59] Nip it. Nip it in the bud.
[00:45:00] But the tares, or weeds, referred to are often thought of by scholars as the type of weed called a bearded darnel, which in the early stages is nearly identical to that of wheat, making it indistinguishable from the wheat.
[00:45:18] Waiting to maturity of the harvest would make the two positively identifiable.
[00:45:23] If the weeds were eradicated now, the harvest would not be complete, because some of the wheat would get thrown out with the tares.
[00:45:32] This demonstrates God's patience.
[00:45:35] If God acted now, some would be lost who would otherwise be saved.
[00:45:45] Lesson number three, the responsibility to gather up the tares is not ours, but we are to endure to the time of harvest.
[00:45:57] Jesus taught to his disciples in Matthew 7, verses 1 through 6, Do not judge, or you will be judged.
[00:46:04] for in the same way you judge others you will be judged and by the measure you use it will be measured to you why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention
[00:46:17] to the plank in your own eye how can you say to your brother let me take the speck out of your eye when all the time there is a plank in your own eye you hypocrite first take the plank out of
[00:46:29] your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye This scripture warns us that we are not to be the judges.
[00:46:40] That task awaits for Jesus and Jesus alone.
[00:46:44] However, we are to speak the truth to our brothers and sisters, not out of superiority or self-righteousness, but out of concern for them, with an awareness that we are no better than they.
[00:46:58] Take the plank out of your own eye before removing the speck from your brother.
[00:47:04] Basically, clean up your own business first, then go help your brother and sister clean up theirs. Fourthly, knowing that there is a judgment to come when the harvest occurs at the end of the age and knowing what that outcome is for those who
[00:47:21] aren't in God, this should drive our passion and our urgency to seek the lost and we should make that a priority in our lives. We should have a deep concern for those who don't know our Savior
[00:47:34] and to do so we have to have a change of our thinking and compassion is the key you have to tell you have good news to tell and we can't view those who are lost who reject God's love
[00:47:49] who may slander and discount us as our enemy or adversary but we must treat them as a lost child of God we must have concern for them and pity for their situation without feeling self-righteous or superior. We tell the truth out of love with grace and compassion because all are
[00:48:14] precious to him. Lastly, we need to examine our own lives, making sure that the love, our love for Christ is sincere. As Jesus warned his followers also in Matthew chapter 17, chapter 7, about the
[00:48:34] false prophets, and passive hearts, saying, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter.
[00:48:49] Many will say to me on that day of judgment, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and then perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them,
[00:49:05] I never knew you.
[00:49:07] Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.
[00:49:12] What a shame it would be to hear that on the day of judgment from our Lord and Savior, turning us away at the end because we weren't willing to give him everything and submit to his will for us.
[00:49:28] Remaining eager to his word, listening for his direction in our lives, and following his call when we hear it.
[00:49:36] In closing, each of us needs to understand our situation.
[00:49:42] Are you a grain of wheat or a weed?
[00:49:45] In all honesty, most days I feel like a weed.
[00:49:49] But all we can do is live in the confidence that we are his and every day in his presence in anticipation that tomorrow may be the harvest.
[00:50:01] Let us pray.
[00:50:02] O God, let us discern from your word all you intended.
[00:50:07] help us to hunger for you and seek wholeheartedly to know you better each and every day may your grace continue to shine upon us as we live our lives for you and reflect your love and grace
[00:50:21] to all around us amen see i think please stand as we sing our closing please be seated for just a second dylan this is dylan he's a wonderful brother in christ got to know dylan this week
[00:54:08] helping out with VBS wonderful soul Dylan is going back home tomorrow to Florida so can we I don't know if we want to come up if you feel laying of hands please come up let's have a special prayer
[00:54:24] for Dylan on his path forward let us pray dear Lord this is your son your beloved son Dylan we ask Lord that you would take care of his path and guide his future help him Lord and protect him
[00:55:06] to know the security of your grace and the power of your love help him Lord to grow in your spirit and to be able to display your love and your grace to all that he encounters
[00:55:20] ask Lord did you give him swift speed and safe speed back home and follow him through the rest of the days of his life until he can return to us his family here at Fairview
[00:55:33] Amen
[00:55:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:55:34] so we'll let that be our benediction
[00:55:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:55:42] if we'd like to gather for our closing
[00:06:25] Good morning, Fairview. Happy Sunday. Glad to see everybody here today after a long week of VBS.
[00:06:35] Figured everybody would be tired, so it's great to see you here. A couple announcements before we get started.
[00:06:42] I'd like to send out a special thanks to the men who came out yesterday morning and bared the humidity and the heat to do our roadside pickup.
[00:06:51] up, so thank you to you gentlemen for that. Also a special announcement for today, after our service in room 204A, we'll have the youth helping to come pack our United Methodist Men backpacks, so thanks to them for showing up this afternoon after service. We also have a sign-up sheet
[00:07:14] in the narthex for nursery volunteers, and if you feel called to serve in this important ministry on Sunday mornings. We would love to have you. Please sign up in the North X or contact the
[00:07:28] church office or speak with Ms. Addison in the nursery for more information. Speaking of that, so I want you to please join me in congratulating Addison Fensel in her new role as our Director of Nursery Ministry and Thomas Danner in his new role as our Director of Worship Technology.
[00:07:49] so we're very grateful to both of them for their willingness to serve with their gifts and their time to bring to these important ministries please keep addison and thomas in your prayers as they begin these new roles and responsibilities asking god to guide and strengthen and bless them
[00:08:13] as they serve our church also following today's service if we can get some volunteers to help us with taking down the remaining decorations from our VBS, that would be great.
[00:08:27] So if you'd just stay in here and help out, that would be awesome.
[00:08:32] And then we also have some several unopened, I quote, unopened bags of nuggets and sausage left in the freezer from VBS.
[00:08:43] So if you'd like to take advantage of our miscalculation and make a donation to a children's ministry, Please see Ms. Crystal to take care of that.
[00:08:53] And then today we have one last important message here.
[00:08:59] We have a special announcement.
[00:09:01] Today is Ms. Crystal's birthday.
[00:09:03] So if you would join me in singing happy birthday to Ms. Crystal.
[00:09:29] And it's also who?
[00:09:31] Alan's birthday.
[00:09:32] All right, here we go.
[00:09:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:09:34] Happy birthday to you.
[00:09:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:09:41] so that was all the announcements official announcements we have are there any others that we need to to bring to front if not uh if you're visiting with us we are so glad to have
[00:10:07] you please make sure that if you're here with us in person that you get one of our visitors packets and there's some information about the church and information you could fill out a form a card in
[00:10:19] there so we can get to know you better. If you're joining us online, we are also glad that you joined us. Please go to the bottom of our webpage. There's a form there for also to send in some
[00:10:30] contact information so we can get to get you engaged here with the services at Fairview.
[00:10:36] With that, let's prepare our hearts and our minds for worship. In Fairview, please join me in our
[00:13:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:13:52] responsive call to worship. O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
[00:14:01] You have set your glory above the heavens. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, the stars that you have established, what are human beings that you are mindful of
[00:14:15] them, mortals that you should care for them, yet you have made us little lower than you, God, and crown us with glory and honor praise be to you lord of all let us worship and magnify your name
[00:14:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:14:32] number 507 in your red hymnal through it all we had vbs this week so to just give you a little
[00:16:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:16:19] bit of a rundown over the course of the five days of vbs we had about 45 kids come through the sanctuary in the church to learn about Jesus. If you helped in any capacity to put up or create
[00:16:33] decorations, could you please stand up so we can give you a round of applause? Okay. If you volunteered as a station leader, a crew leader, or any other, a kitchen helper, could you please stand up so we can give you a round of applause? Without any of the folks who just stood up,
[00:17:00] We can't make VBS happen because I can't have 45 kids just by myself and teach them everything.
[00:17:08] We had some wild ones this week and everybody deserves some rest.
[00:17:13] Now, if the kids want to come forward and we're going to sing Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, adults, please stand up.
[00:17:21] Also, I chose this song because it's one that most people will know even if you weren't at VBS.
[00:17:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:17:25] thank you for helping us guide these kids this week open their hearts and minds to you and your
[00:20:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:20:17] son helping them to bring in these school supplies to help other students who may not have it please let these school supplies go to people who need them and will learn and be willing to and open to
[00:20:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:20:29] receive them amen i'm into the father loves me song number 418 in your red hymnal we are climbing
[00:23:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:23:38] Jacob's Ladder. Please rise. Good morning. Today's first scripture reading is from Psalms 139.
[00:26:15] O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up.
[00:26:23] You discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways even before a word is on my tongue oh lord you know it completely
[00:26:40] you hem me in behind and before and lay your hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is so high that i cannot attain it where can i go from your spirit or where can i flee
[00:27:00] from your presence. If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed and shield, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
[00:27:17] even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say surely the darkness shall cover me, and night wraps itself around me. Even the darkness is not dark
[00:27:35] to you. The night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me,
[00:27:53] and lead me in the way everlasting.
[00:28:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:28:10] Good morning.
[00:28:13] Please join me in our affirmation of faith.
[00:28:16] I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
[00:28:33] was crucified, dead, and buried.
[00:28:35] The third day he rose from the dead He ascended into heaven And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Spirit
[00:28:51] The Holy Catholic Church The communion of saints The forgiveness of sins The resurrection of the body And the life everlasting Amen
[00:29:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:29:03] So as we go to this time of prayer, please note there will be times of pause for us to reflect and say individual prayers about those in our prayer list or those that are on our mind.
[00:29:27] And I ask a special prayer for Pastor Nathan that he will get well.
[00:29:32] So as we go, please let us pray.
[00:29:40] Lord, you are our creator.
[00:29:41] Let us not be blind to the majesty of your works within our world and within our lives.
[00:29:48] May we be eternally grateful for the precious gift of life and the relationship with you.
[00:30:00] Lord, you know everything about us.
[00:30:03] You knitted us in the womb and know every fiber of our being.
[00:30:07] And you follow us.
[00:30:08] You see us in every thought and every action.
[00:30:12] Help us to be mindful that as Christians, we are to be examples of your grace and love to others.
[00:30:25] Lord, you are our refuge.
[00:30:28] You provide safe harbor through the storms of our life, calm our fears, and see us safely through all struggles we encounter.
[00:30:37] Help us to remember that through you all things are possible and all things are set right in time according to your plan.
[00:30:51] Lord, you are love.
[00:30:54] You look to us daily as your adopted children and care for us as your own, as you demonstrated your ultimate love for us on the cross.
[00:31:02] Help us to remember that as we fail and fall away from you and your purpose from us, you are the father of the prodigal son who runs and welcomes us back with open arms when we realize the error of our ways and return to you.
[00:31:24] Lord, help us to remember your greatness as we pray the prayer you taught us to pray.
[00:31:29] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:31:34] thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us lead us not into temptation
[00:31:51] but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever amen as we take this time for a morning offering as the plate is passed by please pause and take a moment to reflect on the
[00:32:12] glory of God in your life will the ushers please come forward free and grace you have met us and blessed us with such an abundant promises in gratitude we offer what we carry in our hearts
[00:36:08] and in our pockets as we bring these worn and frayed offerings we pray that you would use them for we come to the name of jesus and by the movement of your spirit in this place
[00:36:20] amen please be seated so as you may have noticed i am not reverend nathan finzel nathan is uh feeling a little bit under the weather today so please bear with me for the next few moments um as we turn uh turn with me in your bibles
[00:36:43] to our second scripture reading of the book of matthew chapter 13 we'll be reading through the verses of 24 through 30, and then through verses 36 through 43. If you don't have your Bibles with
[00:36:57] you, that's on page 14 of your Pew Bible. Please hear the word of God. Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed a good seed
[00:37:11] in his field. But while his men were sleeping, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore again, then the tares became evident also.
[00:37:24] The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?
[00:37:30] How then does it have tares? And he said to them, An enemy has done this. The slaves said to him, Do you want us then to go and gather them up? But he said, No, for while you are gathering the
[00:37:42] tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest.
[00:37:49] And in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, first gather up the tares and bind them into bundles and burn them up, but gather the wheat into the barn. Then Jesus left the crowds
[00:38:02] and went into the house. And his disciples came to him and he said, explain to us the parable of And he said, end of the age, the Son of Man will send forth his angels and will gather out of his kingdom
[00:38:46] all the stumbling blocks and all who have committed lawlessness and will throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[00:38:57] Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father.
[00:39:02] He who hears, let him hear. This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
[00:39:09] Let us pray.
[00:39:14] Gracious Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight.
[00:39:21] O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen.
[00:39:26] So as we continue through the book of Matthew, this parable comes right after the parable of the sower that we discussed last week, which described the different ways in which the word of the kingdom is received by us
[00:39:39] and the way it grows in our lives depending on the condition of our hearts.
[00:39:44] This parable, like that of the sower, is also related to something that would have been very familiar to the people of Judea and is very relatable to us today.
[00:39:54] As most of you know, anyone who grows a garden, no matter what you're growing, you will contend with weeds.
[00:40:01] And I don't know about you, but I like it when Jesus teaches in parables.
[00:40:07] And it's been said a parable is simply an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
[00:40:12] and Jesus used them frequently in his teaching.
[00:40:16] Although the parables was a common way of teaching in Judaism because they were relatable, there was a specific reason that Jesus used them in his teachings and he explained this to the disciples when they asked him.
[00:40:34] Jesus responded to the disciples.
[00:40:36] He answered them.
[00:40:37] This is in Matthew 13, verse 11 through 13.
[00:40:41] He answered them, to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but for them it has not been granted for whoever has him has to him more will be given and he will have an abundance but
[00:40:56] whoever does not have even what he has shall be taken away from him therefore I speak to them in parables because while seeing they do not see and while hearing they do not hear nor do they
[00:41:10] understand. The parables were meant to be memorable, but more importantly, the parables were meant to clarify truth to those who were open and eager to hear. However, that symbolism was meant to hide the truth from anyone without discipline or desire to seek out its meaning. As Reverend John
[00:41:31] MacArthur explains in his study in the parables, he states, parables hid the truth from the self-righteous, the self-satisfied people who fancied themselves too sophisticated to learn from Jesus. While the same parables revealed truth to eager souls with childlike
[00:41:51] faith, hungering and thirsting for righteousness. So basically saying that as long as we are open and eager and willing to search the scriptures, we will learn the truth from the parables.
[00:42:08] For this reason, Jesus didn't explain many of his parables, in fact, most of them.
[00:42:13] But luckily, with this parable as well as that of the sower, the disciples didn't really catch the meaning, so they asked him.
[00:42:21] And I often feel like a disciple, these guys were not the sharpest hacks in the box.
[00:42:26] So I like to get an explanation from time to time.
[00:42:30] So I'm glad that they asked for clarification on this.
[00:42:33] So this is what Jesus replied to the disciples.
[00:42:37] So for this parable, the one who sows the good seed is the son of man.
[00:42:42] The son of man, as we know, is the title Jesus used for himself in the Gospels, and it carries the meaning of his human nature to highlight his humility and his suffering for mankind.
[00:42:55] The field, he said, is the world.
[00:42:58] This is not some far-off place or heaven, but this is that here, this world that we live in.
[00:43:03] the good seed or the wheat are the sons of the kingdom those who follow and obey him and seek to know him more abundantly hopefully that's us the tares are the son of the evil one the devil
[00:43:19] those who reject god and deny god or follow a path that leads away from god the sower he said was the devil and the harbor harvest will come at the end of the age by the angels who will gather
[00:43:36] up the tares and throw them into the fire. This is a very direct description of what's in store for those who choose a life of evil or choose a life away from God. So as we read through the
[00:43:51] parable and we listen to the parable, there's some important lessons we can take from them.
[00:43:56] First, Jesus proclaims that the field is the world, and this implies that the time is now.
[00:44:05] It's a time where evil grows alongside righteousness, meaning we shouldn't be surprised or disheartened when we see evil in the world.
[00:44:14] It doesn't mean we should like it, but it shows that we should be expecting that's how the world to be.
[00:44:20] But in this dark world, we are to be the shining light of hope, allowing God to nurture us and strengthen us in our perseverance so that we are better examples of his grace and love
[00:44:32] and demonstrating the even greater glory to the Father.
[00:44:38] Secondly, the time to gather up and remove the tares is not now, but it's to be done later at the harvest at the end of days.
[00:44:49] If you're like me, you're more like the servants, and you say, let's rip them up now before they become a problem.
[00:44:56] It's kind of like the great philosopher Barney Fife.
[00:44:59] Nip it. Nip it in the bud.
[00:45:00] But the tares, or weeds, referred to are often thought of by scholars as the type of weed called a bearded darnel, which in the early stages is nearly identical to that of wheat, making it indistinguishable from the wheat.
[00:45:18] Waiting to maturity of the harvest would make the two positively identifiable.
[00:45:23] If the weeds were eradicated now, the harvest would not be complete, because some of the wheat would get thrown out with the tares.
[00:45:32] This demonstrates God's patience.
[00:45:35] If God acted now, some would be lost who would otherwise be saved.
[00:45:45] Lesson number three, the responsibility to gather up the tares is not ours, but we are to endure to the time of harvest.
[00:45:57] Jesus taught to his disciples in Matthew 7, verses 1 through 6, Do not judge, or you will be judged.
[00:46:04] for in the same way you judge others you will be judged and by the measure you use it will be measured to you why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention
[00:46:17] to the plank in your own eye how can you say to your brother let me take the speck out of your eye when all the time there is a plank in your own eye you hypocrite first take the plank out of
[00:46:29] your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye This scripture warns us that we are not to be the judges.
[00:46:40] That task awaits for Jesus and Jesus alone.
[00:46:44] However, we are to speak the truth to our brothers and sisters, not out of superiority or self-righteousness, but out of concern for them, with an awareness that we are no better than they.
[00:46:58] Take the plank out of your own eye before removing the speck from your brother.
[00:47:04] Basically, clean up your own business first, then go help your brother and sister clean up theirs. Fourthly, knowing that there is a judgment to come when the harvest occurs at the end of the age and knowing what that outcome is for those who
[00:47:21] aren't in God, this should drive our passion and our urgency to seek the lost and we should make that a priority in our lives. We should have a deep concern for those who don't know our Savior
[00:47:34] and to do so we have to have a change of our thinking and compassion is the key you have to tell you have good news to tell and we can't view those who are lost who reject God's love
[00:47:49] who may slander and discount us as our enemy or adversary but we must treat them as a lost child of God we must have concern for them and pity for their situation without feeling self-righteous or superior. We tell the truth out of love with grace and compassion because all are
[00:48:14] precious to him. Lastly, we need to examine our own lives, making sure that the love, our love for Christ is sincere. As Jesus warned his followers also in Matthew chapter 17, chapter 7, about the
[00:48:34] false prophets, and passive hearts, saying, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter.
[00:48:49] Many will say to me on that day of judgment, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and then perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them,
[00:49:05] I never knew you.
[00:49:07] Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.
[00:49:12] What a shame it would be to hear that on the day of judgment from our Lord and Savior, turning us away at the end because we weren't willing to give him everything and submit to his will for us.
[00:49:28] Remaining eager to his word, listening for his direction in our lives, and following his call when we hear it.
[00:49:36] In closing, each of us needs to understand our situation.
[00:49:42] Are you a grain of wheat or a weed?
[00:49:45] In all honesty, most days I feel like a weed.
[00:49:49] But all we can do is live in the confidence that we are his and every day in his presence in anticipation that tomorrow may be the harvest.
[00:50:01] Let us pray.
[00:50:02] O God, let us discern from your word all you intended.
[00:50:07] help us to hunger for you and seek wholeheartedly to know you better each and every day may your grace continue to shine upon us as we live our lives for you and reflect your love and grace
[00:50:21] to all around us amen see i think please stand as we sing our closing please be seated for just a second dylan this is dylan he's a wonderful brother in christ got to know dylan this week
[00:54:08] helping out with VBS wonderful soul Dylan is going back home tomorrow to Florida so can we I don't know if we want to come up if you feel laying of hands please come up let's have a special prayer
[00:54:24] for Dylan on his path forward let us pray dear Lord this is your son your beloved son Dylan we ask Lord that you would take care of his path and guide his future help him Lord and protect him
[00:55:06] to know the security of your grace and the power of your love help him Lord to grow in your spirit and to be able to display your love and your grace to all that he encounters
[00:55:20] ask Lord did you give him swift speed and safe speed back home and follow him through the rest of the days of his life until he can return to us his family here at Fairview
[00:55:33] Amen
[00:55:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:55:34] so we'll let that be our benediction
[00:55:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:55:42] if we'd like to gather for our closing
