OUR MISSION: To guide those far from God into the new start found in Jesus Christ.

adjective ‘What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, “Son, go and work today in the vineyard.” ‘“I will not,” he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. ‘Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, “I will, sir,” but he did not go. ‘Which of the two did what his father wanted?’ ‘The first,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Matthew 21:28-32

Part One Weeds & Wheat Matthew 21:28-32 Christianity was nearly wiped off the face of the earth The issue of definition and measurement Greg Svoboda’s ebook a.com Insid ers Outsider s Good Evil Holy Unhol y Clea n Unclean Right Wron g Augustine of Hippo

Part One Weeds & Wheat Matthew 21:28-32 What does Jesus say? Matthew 13:24-30 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 ears, 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?” ‘“No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may uproot 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.”’

Part One Weeds & Wheat Matthew 21:28-32 What does Jesus say? We perpetuate the sin of totalitarianism when we measure the quality of holiness in the Lord’s field We don’t have the power... nor the ability to separate the weeds from the Lord’s field Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Part One Weeds & Wheat Matthew 21:28-32 What happened to the Donatists? Matthew 5:45 “...for He [God] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” They were victims of their own success The Church should be on mission in unity “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” ‘“No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may uproot 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.”’

Part One Weeds & Wheat Matthew 21:28-32 The power of an attitude Matthew 21:23 “Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him.” It’s not always in the “doing” but in the “being” Two kinds of people are represented Jesus critiques the outwardly religious because they don’t promote any sense of inclusion

Part One Weeds & Wheat Matthew 21:28-32 The power of an attitude “Churches are not automatically safe places to be yourself. The cruellest acts of exclusion I have ever seen have been in churches. But the most unexpected, wonderful and downright miraculous acts of inclusion I have ever seen have been in churches. Sometimes we get it right.” Bishop Dan Edwards – Blog: Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Part One Weeds & Wheat Matthew 21:28-32 The power of an attitude John 4:35-38 “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labour.”

Part One Weeds & Wheat Matthew 21:28-32 Reaching a city that needs reaching now Jeremiah 29:7 “And work for the peace and prosperity of the city… Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” Assume that everyone is coming to the party Before church is a place they go, it has to be a person they meet

Part One Weeds & Wheat Matthew 21:28-32 Living an inclusive life is helping people understand who Jesus is and the relevancy of His Church 2 Corinthians 5:20 “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

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OUR MISSION: To guide those far from God into the new start found in Jesus Christ.