In The End of this World
“In The End of this World”
(Matthew 13:39;40)
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Matthew: 37-43: “…he that sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
This past week the Department of Homeland Security sent out a warning to federal, state, and local law enforcement about the radicalization of “rightwing extremism”. This church’s Tenants of Faith states that all of the Holy Scripture is the inspired and authoritative Word of God. 11 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
All power in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus Christ. There are twelve items stated in this proclamation that would qualify one as being a rightwing extremist. This present Federal Government actually states that you may be a “terrorist” if you identify yourself as a Christian! Our church stands today in the conviction of all of those twelve points.
Today’s message is about the “End of the World” which is taught throughout the Holy Scriptures. The spirit of anti-christ does not want the world to know these Holy Scriptures.
The Wheat and the Tares
(Paraphrased and quoted from The Seven Thunders of God by: Van Tanner)
“The wheat and the tares stay together until the harvest, which is defined at the end of the world. The first thing done in the harvest is the removal of the wicked…Jesus says that once the wicked are removed then the righteous shine forth…just like the Bride in Revelation shines. According to this scripture, Jesus declares that the next event the world will see is the removal of the wicked from out of the midst of the righteous, leaving behind only His Bride without spot or blemish.”
I believe the angels have been sent forth to separate the tares from the wheat. Many hearts are being proven and tested in this hour. What is the motive of your heart? There is a separation of that which is carnal and that which is Spirit. We are all being tested in pride, judgment, envy, lusts, fear, doubt, unbelief, idolaters, the abominable and liars. “These shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone ;”( Rev. 21:8)
“The Harvest is the End of the World”
(Mt. 13:39)
“The true blessed hope for all Christians is for the great Harvest of souls into the Kingdom of our Father. The desire of all Christians should be to respond to the Father’s heart that “none should perish” by working fervently during these end-times to share the gospel of the living Christ with all who will receive. “
In Matthew 13, there are eight (8) parables which are used to describe those who will hear the Word of God and receive their salvation and those who will not.
13:21 “Yet has not root in himself, but endures for a while; when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
People of God, I have experienced some persecution because the Lord has asked me to make stands on many principles of Faith. However, this letter sent out by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano is persecution of our Faith, Freedom of Religion and Freedom of speech by our government.
As a Pastor, I must preach the Word of God so that you will know how to stand in these days.
13:22: “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.”
As a Minister of the Gospel, I have seen the deceitfulness of riches and the cares of this world cause many Christians to backslide. The deceitfulness of riches has almost brought down the economy of this once God fearing nation. It is those Christians who have gone to their knees in prayer for this nation that is holding back the scales of judgment. This week my heart was tested because of the loss of a large sum of personal money that I thought was money in the bank. I released it to the Lord and have perfect peace. I cannot allow the deceitfulness of riches to affect my soul.
13:23: He that receives seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
My Faith is such that I believe this ministry and all who are blessed through this ministry receive a 100-fold blessing. I will not put my eyes on the deceitfulness of riches of this world. I have made the Lord my source all of my life. It is not time to take my eyes off of Him in this time of deceitfulness of riches being tested of our hearts.
13:39: Jesus in interpreting to his disciples the parable of the tares and the wheat.
In verse 39, “The enemy that sowed them (the tares) is the devil, the Harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels.
To quote Bro, Tanner, “There must be Harvesters if there is to be a Harvest…
The end-time Harvest occurs after the church slept and allowed the enemy to sow tares into the Kingdom of Heaven. This Harvest is to remove those tares and bring forth the glorious Bride of Christ, which will then go forth to harvest the earth. “Thrust in your sickle and reap for the time is come for you to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” (Rev. 14:15)
Nothing should divert the Church’s call to wake up and prepare for the harvest. By lulling the Church to sleep and diverting the Church from fulfilling its role in God’s Harvest, the enemy has accomplished a temporary victory. He has misled God’s people into complacency… which eliminates their need to prepare for the shaking to come.” However, I do not believe the shaking is to come, but is now upon us. We thought we were shaken when the stock market collapsed and many people lost ¼ of their wealth over night. This is a shaking that we are now threatened by federal, state and local law enforcement for preaching about the end-time, for being against abortion and against same sex marriage.
I would think that this will accelerate the sleeping church to put the pedal to the metal and get about the business of the Kingdom of God.
“The bodily return of Jesus to his people is assured; the “how” and “when” should not be an issue.” I have seen Men of God fight and dis-fellowship one another over the rapture. All of our religious issues are going to burn as part of our carnal nature. I have no respect for those who will fight over the “how” and “when” of the return of Jesus Christ.
“We will all meet the resurrected Jesus, and for some of us it may be any day as he steps into the midst of His harvesters and sends them forth into the harvest in the parable of the vineyard (Matt. 20).
We should all be like “Paul who, though he wanted desperately to be with Jesus, was willing to remain to be available for those who needed him. The true heart of a servant would call out to be left behind as a source of light to a dark world, even if there is but one who could be saved.”
Christ asks a similar question, “Why stand you idle? It is the eleventh hour and the harvest is under way, why are you not in the fields working?”(20:6) The workers said that no man had hired them or put them to a task. Since the Lord already defined the end time as the harvest in Chapter 12, then we know that this parable is about the end-time workers of the Lord. These men stood around because they were not sent; no one directed them to get prepared and be ready.” In John 4:35, the Harvest that Jesus speaks of is the Harvest to bring in the Church age. The verses in Matthew 13 and 20 are clearly about the end-time.
“The laborers are few today because pastors do not teach about the necessity of becoming Harvesters for the great Harvest ahead. (Surely it is soon). In the parable of the ten virgins, it says that they all slept until the midnight call. At that call only the wise were accepted at the marriage feast (Great Supper). The wise were chosen because they prepared themselves and filled their lamps with oil (Christ). That is how the Lord finishes the parable of the vineyard. “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Many are called to be prepared for the harvest, but few will be chosen as the instruments of His will.”
One cannot sit around and wait thinking you will inherit the work started by another. This past week Sonya and Yvonne started a community Bible Study. Robert and Sandy have a Bible Study/prayer meeting in their home every other week. Allen and Sandra have a ministry to the jails. Wesley and Alison have a ministry to the young adults. Roxanne minister to the teenagers, Ginny ministers to us by leading the Praise and Worship team. Sheila ministers through song. J. T. ministers in the highways and byways and gathers people into the church. Bet Amante ministers through the Glory Chain. Nam and Daniel minister through missions and Bible colleges, Les and Nel minister to the children and to the church through the beautiful garden. Joe Morals ministered as an evangelist in Phoenix last week. Jill and Michael are sent out as Evangelists. I can call names until I get in trouble, but I believe this church is a church of “Harvesters”.
I preach Jesus Christ with the heart of “let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God; of the doctrine of baptism, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.” (Heb. 6:1-3)
What Paul is saying here is, “God willing let us go on unto maturity.” “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to open shame.”
There was a false wind of doctrine that came out of the Faith movement that said, “ if there is trouble in your life it is because of sin.” If you have trouble, always check your heart to see if there is sin, but trouble is not always caused by sin.
“ Many think of the end-time tribulation period as punishment because they do not understand God’s full intent…. Sufferings cause us to let go of our carnality and thereby make more room for the presence of Christ. Flesh hides the light. Sanctifications, or dying-to-self reveals the light.”
Heb. 12: 7-8: “if you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastens not. But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers that are ye bastards, and not sons.”
Gal 2:20-21 “ I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Many have wrongly judged my present walk of Faith. I can assure you whenever you take a true walk of Faith, the Pharisees will judge you. It is the Lord’s desire to work into me a Greater Grace of love, forgiveness and unselfishness. This is the work of the Cross. Every time the Lord has taken me to the Cross, He has released a greater glory of his love and mercy through me for His ministry. I have walked in harder places than I now walk. The Lord has placed a new Grace on my life. Many have betrayed me during the past five years. I believe those who betrayed me have been the separation of the tares and the wheat. I am not saying that people who have moved away or serving the Lord in other vineyards are tares. However, we have had a few hit the gate. (Smile) The Lord has blessed this Eastgate Ministries with His Abiding Presence and people who are “wheat”.
Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit is the Pearl of Greatest Price.
I count it all joy to be identified as a Christian who preaches the biblical prophecies about the “end-times”. I count it all joy to be able to stand against abortion and have Rhonda Arais of Texas Abortion Recovery as our guest speaker at the Tuesday morning Bible Study. I believe the present administration has a conspiracy to move us toward a One-World government with a One-World currency. I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.
I believe we have “wheat” in this church who will be gathered into Jesus’ barn. I thought about the barn on the property and how neat it would be to have a conference in the barn, “Gather the wheat into my barn.” (Mt. 13:30b) Maybe later, after I have walked out this present season. (Smile)
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.; quotations are from The Seven Thunders of God by: Van Tanner; comments and conclusions are my own.