Did your conversion really take?

1. Did your conversion really take?

2. Matthew 13:24-28 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ”‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

3. Matthew 13:29-30 ”‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

4. Matthew 13:36-39 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.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

5. Matthew 13:40-43 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 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. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

6. The Cast: The kingdom of heaven = the church. Matthew 13:24 - The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

7. The Cast: The Sower = Lord Jesus. Matthew 13:37 - The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.

8. The Cast: The field. Matthew 13:38 - The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom.

9. The Cast: The good seed = truly converted Christians. Matthew 13:38 - The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom.

10. The Cast: The weeds = the unregenerated church attender. Matthew 13:38 - The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one . . .

11. The Cast: The enemy. Matthew 13:39 - . . . the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

12. The Cast: The harvest - the judgment day. Matthew 13:39 - . . . the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

13. The Cast: The harvesters. Matthew 13:39 - . . . the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

14. What should you expect to see when a true conversion happens?

15. I. At Your Conversion.

16. A. The good seed. Matthew 13:24 - The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. I. At Your Conversion.

17. A. The good seed. 1. Are you truly obedient to God’s will? I. At Your Conversion.

18. A. The good seed. a. Repentance (μετανοέω) = you have a changed mind. Luke 13:3 - . . . unless you repent, you too will all perish. I. At Your Conversion.

19. A. The good seed. b. Confessed sin (ὁμολογω̂μεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμω̂ν) = admit sins before a holy God. I John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I. At Your Conversion.

20. A. The good seed. c. The Good Confession (τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν) = becomes the central focus of your testimony. I Timothy 6:12-13 - Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses . . . and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession . . . I. At Your Conversion.

21. A. The good seed. d. Baptism (βαπτίζω) = your life fits in with it’s symbolism. Romans 6:4 - We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. I. At Your Conversion.

22. A. The good seed. 2. What does good seed do? It reproduces itself in abundance! I. At Your Conversion.

23. B. The weeds. Matthew 13:25 - But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. I. At Your Conversion.

24. B. The weeds. 1. Weeds (ζιζάνιον) = the “bearded darnel”, poisonous rye. I. At Your Conversion.

25. B. The weeds. 1. Weeds (ζιζάνιον) = the “bearded darnel”, poisonous rye. Romans 12:1-2 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. I. At Your Conversion.

26. B. The weeds. 1. Weeds (ζιζάνιον) = the “bearded darnel”, poisonous rye. James 2:14-17 - What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. I. At Your Conversion.

27. I. At Your Conversion. II. During Your Life.

28. A. The good seed always bearsfruit! Matthew 13:26 - When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. Matthew 13:8 -  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop — a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. II. During Your Life.

29. A. The good seed always bearsfruit! 1. The fruit of Christian growth = active resistance against Satan. II. During Your Life.

30. Ephesians 6:13-17 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. II. During Your Life.

31. A. The good seed always bearsfruit! 1. The fruit of Christian growth = active resistance against Satan. 2. The fruit of Christian testimony. I Peter 3:15 - Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. II. During Your Life.

32. A. The good seed always bearsfruit! 1. The fruit of Christian growth = active resistance against Satan. 2. The fruit of Christian testimony. 3. The fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. II. During Your Life.

33. A. The good seed always bearsfruit! B. The weeds just appear! Matthew 13:26 - When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. II. During Your Life.

34. B. The weeds just appear! One of Satan’s purposes is to encourage church attenders to remain untransformed. II. During Your Life.

35. Matthew 13:28-29 - “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ”‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. II. During Your Life.

36. Matthew 13:28-29 - “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ”‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Matthew 13:30 - Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. II. During Your Life.

37. B. The weeds just appear! What is your responsibility towards hypocrites in your church? II. During Your Life.

38. I. At Your Conversion. II. During Your Life. III. When the Judgment Comes.

39. A. The weeds are gathered and burned. Matthew 13:42 - They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. III. When the Judgment Comes.

40. A. The weeds are gathered and burned. God knows your heart! God knows if you’re genuine or not! III. When the Judgment Comes.

41. 1. The Healing of the Centurion’s Servant - Matthew 8:10-12. III. When the Judgment Comes.

42. 1. The Healing of the Centurion’s Servant - Matthew 8:10-12. 2. Parable of the Wedding Banquet -Matthew 22:1-14. III. When the Judgment Comes.

43. 1. The Healing of the Centurion’s Servant -Matthew 8:10-12. 2. Parable of the Wedding Banquet -Matthew 22:1-14. 3. Parable of the Unfaithful Servant -Matthew 24:45-51. III. When the Judgment Comes.

44. 1. The Healing of the Centurion’s Servant -Matthew 8:10-12. 2. Parable of the Wedding Banquet -Matthew 22:1-14. 3. Parable of the Unfaithful Servant -Matthew 24:45-51. 4. Parable of the Talents -Matthew 25:30. III. When the Judgment Comes.

45. A. The weeds are gathered and burned. B. The good wheat will be gathered into the Master’s barn. Matthew 13:30 - First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. Matthew 13:43 - Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. III. When the Judgment Comes.

46. John 14:1-3 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. II. During Your Life.

47. Revelation 21:1-4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”. II. During Your Life.

48. Are you the wheat or the weed? The good seed or the bad? The Spirit controlled Christian or the hypocrite?

49. Are you the wheat or the weed? The good seed or the bad? The Spirit controlled Christian or the hypocrite? The difference is what you decide to do with Lord Jesus right now!