May 3, 2020 Online Service
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Welcome to our Central Church online service. This week I've included a video that's on the lighter side, The Incredible Story of Mabel the Duck. My fear is that many of you be much more excited about the duck video than my sermon! A little levity is good for all of us.
Be sure to read the announcements that are provided below. Julie has provided a good update on our efforts to support and encourage our health care workers. The theme for today's service is the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. If you are not a regular part of Central we welcome you to our online service and would love to get to know you. Please use the form at the bottom of this page to tell us a little bit about yourself. I wish I could greet you after the service with a warm handshake, but please know that it means a lot to me that you are joining us today. Also, after watching today's service, be sure to check out this week's Resource of the Week to learn how to read the Bible and for a deeper look at today's parable. |
Music for Your Afternoon
In a nod to to Micah, our Praise Band leader, I've provided a link to bluegrass and folk versions of many of the classic hymns.
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The Incredible Adventures of Mable the Duck
Starring Mable the Duck and her 12 Duck Children. Costarring Marvin the Duck. Soundtrack provided by the Praise Band. Produced by your Pastor when he should have been working on his sermon. The video includes no sex or violence and is suitable for small children.
Scripture Reading
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The Parable of the Weeds |
The Lord's Table
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One of Central's traditions is to serve communion each time we gather. The church provided prepackaged communion servings for you to use. If you didn't stop by the church to get one you may want to get a small glass of juice or wine, and a small piece of bread or a cracker, so you can participate.
If you have run out of communion supplies we are providing prepackages communion servings. You can come by anytime and pick them up under the carport. The Lord's Table is for anyone who has trusted Christ. If you haven't given your life to Christ, now would be a great time to do so. Click here to learn more about how you can do that. |
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. |
This is where we usually dismiss kids for Kid's Jam
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Once again our parents will have to be Kid's Jam this Sunday. Jodi and Sarah are working each week to find resources to help you teach your children about God and his love. If they are old enough, be sure to pray with them about the things they are probably picking up about this crisis. Remind them that God is big enough to handle our biggest challenges, and the he's got this under his control.
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Offering
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Thank you for your generous support for our ministry. Even though we are not meeting, most of our church expenses continue. If you would like to contribute to Central using our Church Center app just click here, text ccspringfield to 84321, or mail your contribution to the church.
We've added two categories to our giving app for your consideration. You can use the pull down menu to designate a contribution to the Springfield Soup Kitchen, or to a new category called Support/Health Care Workers which we will use exclusively to support a ministry to front-line health workers who attend Central, or who work at Springfield Regional Hospital or the Rocking Horse Center. |
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. |
Sermon/The Parable of the Wheat & the Weeds
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds is the second parable recorded in Matthew 13. It is closely related to Parable of the Mustard Seed, and the Parable of the Yeast and the Dough. All three are about what it will be like to wait for the Kingdom of Heaven. Like a mustard seed, the Kingdom will start small and take awhile to grow but when it matures it will be a place of peace and shelter for all who have entered it. Like yeast in a batch of dough, it will take awhile to rise, but when it does it will permeate all aspects of the world and our existence. God's Kingdom may take awhile to completely come to pass, but when it does it will overtake everything and be a place of peace, shelter, and nourishment for those who accept Christ's invitation to enter it.
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, is about a farmer who plants a crop of good wheat. During the night an enemy sneaks in and sows seeds for a weed named darnel among the wheat. Darnel was a common weed in Judea and it looked almost exactly like wheat. The farm workers eventually notice the darnel. They come to the farm owner with two questions; 1) Where did these weeds come from?, and 2) Do you want us to pull out the weeds?
Before going any further allow me to give you some clues to understanding the parable.
The Farmer = Jesus
The Field = The world in which we currently live
The Wheat Seeds = The children of God, those who accept Christ's invitation to enter the Kingdom of Heaven
The Weed Seeds = The children of the evil one, those who reject Jesus and his Kingdom
The Harvest = The end of the age, God's final judgement upon mankind before the Kingdom of Heaven
The Farm Workers = Angels
The point of the story is that while we wait for the Kingdom to come to pass we will exist side by side with people who are enemies of the Kingdom of Heaven. And they been sown into our world by the enemy to produce evil, and while we wait for the Kingdom that evil is all around us. It is present in the people and in the power structures of our world. We see it in sex trafficking, drug dealing, and in indifference to the needs of the vulnerable. If we are honest, sometimes we see it in ourselves.
Until the end of the age, when the Kingdom comes into its fullness, the presence of evil and evil people is a difficult fact of life.
This parable does three things.
First, it gives reminds us that we live in a dangerous world full of all sorts of weeds. Covid -19 is a weed, violence is a weed, addiction is a weed, and materialism is a weed. Anything that comes from the evil one is a weed.
Second, it gives us hope that a day is coming when all the weeds will be removed. God is a loving God, but he is also a Holy God who hates evil. One day he will judge and remove the evil from our world. The Kingdom of Heaven will eventually be a place where there are no weeds.
Third, it is a strong call to examine the fruit of our lives to see if we are children of the Kingdom of Jesus, or children of the evil one. At the end of the age, children of Jesus will enter the Kingdom of Heaven and enjoy a wonderful weedless eternity. But those who ignore Christ's invitation to enter the Kingdom, remaining committed to doing the work of the evil one, will face judgement and destruction.
*As I have been reading Matthew 13 this Sunday morning it struck me that the crowds surrounding Jesus only heard the parables themselves. When we read Matthew 13 we also get to hear Jesus's private words of instruction to the disciples Imagine what it would have been like to just hear the parable with no explanation. They would have had to wrestle with its interpretation and meaning. Let's try to put ourselves into the world of that first century audience and ponder the personal implications of this simple story. Also remember the context. In Matthew 12 Jesus had a series of confrontations with Pharisees and they began to plot to kill him (Matthew 12:14). Immediately after that Jesus begins to use these mysterious stories to teach about the coming Kingdom of Heaven. What would this simple story say to you? For a deeper dive into it's meaning I encourage you to check out this week's Resource of the Week, a deeper study on this parable.
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, is about a farmer who plants a crop of good wheat. During the night an enemy sneaks in and sows seeds for a weed named darnel among the wheat. Darnel was a common weed in Judea and it looked almost exactly like wheat. The farm workers eventually notice the darnel. They come to the farm owner with two questions; 1) Where did these weeds come from?, and 2) Do you want us to pull out the weeds?
Before going any further allow me to give you some clues to understanding the parable.
The Farmer = Jesus
The Field = The world in which we currently live
The Wheat Seeds = The children of God, those who accept Christ's invitation to enter the Kingdom of Heaven
The Weed Seeds = The children of the evil one, those who reject Jesus and his Kingdom
The Harvest = The end of the age, God's final judgement upon mankind before the Kingdom of Heaven
The Farm Workers = Angels
The point of the story is that while we wait for the Kingdom to come to pass we will exist side by side with people who are enemies of the Kingdom of Heaven. And they been sown into our world by the enemy to produce evil, and while we wait for the Kingdom that evil is all around us. It is present in the people and in the power structures of our world. We see it in sex trafficking, drug dealing, and in indifference to the needs of the vulnerable. If we are honest, sometimes we see it in ourselves.
Until the end of the age, when the Kingdom comes into its fullness, the presence of evil and evil people is a difficult fact of life.
This parable does three things.
First, it gives reminds us that we live in a dangerous world full of all sorts of weeds. Covid -19 is a weed, violence is a weed, addiction is a weed, and materialism is a weed. Anything that comes from the evil one is a weed.
Second, it gives us hope that a day is coming when all the weeds will be removed. God is a loving God, but he is also a Holy God who hates evil. One day he will judge and remove the evil from our world. The Kingdom of Heaven will eventually be a place where there are no weeds.
Third, it is a strong call to examine the fruit of our lives to see if we are children of the Kingdom of Jesus, or children of the evil one. At the end of the age, children of Jesus will enter the Kingdom of Heaven and enjoy a wonderful weedless eternity. But those who ignore Christ's invitation to enter the Kingdom, remaining committed to doing the work of the evil one, will face judgement and destruction.
*As I have been reading Matthew 13 this Sunday morning it struck me that the crowds surrounding Jesus only heard the parables themselves. When we read Matthew 13 we also get to hear Jesus's private words of instruction to the disciples Imagine what it would have been like to just hear the parable with no explanation. They would have had to wrestle with its interpretation and meaning. Let's try to put ourselves into the world of that first century audience and ponder the personal implications of this simple story. Also remember the context. In Matthew 12 Jesus had a series of confrontations with Pharisees and they began to plot to kill him (Matthew 12:14). Immediately after that Jesus begins to use these mysterious stories to teach about the coming Kingdom of Heaven. What would this simple story say to you? For a deeper dive into it's meaning I encourage you to check out this week's Resource of the Week, a deeper study on this parable.
Benediction
May the deep deep love of God bless you and keep you during the coming week. May his Spirit comfort you and lead you, and in your hearts may there be a peace that passes all understanding.
Announcements
- Office Hours: we are resuming office hours Monday-Friday 9am-1:30pm. If you need to come into the office, please follow social distancing guidelines, and wear a mask.
- Communion Packets: you can pick up packets outside the main church doors so you can receive communion as you follow Pastor Carl's online message.
- #duckcam: join the fun in watching Mabel and her 12 ducklings (new photos/videos will be added daily)
- Upper Room: May/June issue is available. You can stop by and pick one up or let us know and we will mail a copy to you
- Mother's Day: share your favorite memory of your mom; send us a picture, video, or written message...get your kids involved and let them share a memory of you :)
- Health Care/First Responders: we continue to provide meals and care packages to those associated with Central. Here is who we've already supported:
2. CVS/Derr Road; Marci Rismiller
3. Whitacre's Pharmacy/S Limestone; Ryan Young
4. James Medical Center/Columbus; Mona Lloyd, Kaylee Timmons
5. Mt Carmel Emergency/Grove City; Ben Prater
Next up: Springfield Regional, Mercy Health, Memorial Hospital Union County, CRSI, local fire stations and
doctor's offices
- For those who have social media be sure to follow us on Facebook @ccspringfield.org and Instagram @ccspringfieldoh for daily messages/notes of encouragement
You can email julie.prater@ccspringfield.org with questions, prayers, praises, Mother's Day memories. and additional names for the first responder list
For our Guests. We'd love to learn a little bit about you.
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