The Unbelieving Among The Believing

Introduction:

* The day will come where large number of people will be flocking back to church.

* Is that a “happy problem?”

* Overwhelming unbelievers in the church can cause unbelieving beliefs and tendencies to take root in the church.

* The Lord was always concerned about the purity of His bride.

* ONLY believers who are different from the world draws the world.

Read <Mt 13:24-30>

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds (or tares) among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds (or tares) also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds (or tares) come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds (tares), you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds (or tares) and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Read <Mt 13:36-43>

36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

* Age-old ongoing dispute – Does the “field” refer to the World or the Church?

* <Mt 7:22-23>: 22 ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

* <Mt 26:23>: “The one (Judas Iscariot) who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me”.

* <1 Jn 2:19>: “They (the Anti-Christ) went out from us (the Church), but they did not really belong to us.”

* <Mt 15:8>: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me’

We do not know who are the true converts in the Church.

* We do not know the “real condition of the hearts” of people.

* People can be captivated to come to church or practise Christianity rituals for reasons none other than God.

St Augustine says: “The visible Church in the world is a mix body” (regenerated and non-regenerated ones worshipping together).

* Concept of “Visible and invisible church”.

1) Visible Church – Physical Congregants

2) Invisible Church – Elects of God

What should we do with the mix body (visible Church)?

1) Be careful not to cleanse the field (Church) by our own discernment or judgment.

2) We must not change the menu of spiritual food for the sheep of God.

* Wrong path taken by seeker sensitive churches.

* <Php 1:9-10>: 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

3) Practise Church Discipline if need to.  

* <1 Cor 5:5>: “Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh…” – Excommunication.

* Church leaderships – Slow to practise discipline, slow to restore sinners?

* What warrants church discipline? Impenitence.

* Treat them as pagans <Mat 18:17> – Passive Church Discipline.