Introduction

• Opening with exuberant worship and declaration of “Amen” as agreement with God’s purposes.
• Celebration of Elevation Church’s 20th campus in Somerville and a year end offering of $11,463,000 for ministry, outreach, and global missions.
• Pastor Steven requests prayer over the pulpit for every word in 2025 to bring salvation, deliverance, miracles, correction, and comfort.
• Announcement of the Elevation Nights tour across eight U.S. cities and new Elevation Rhythm music.
• Preaching text introduced from the parable of the wheat and weeds in Matthew 13:24-30.

Key Points and Exposition

1. Wheat and Weeds Always Grow Together

• Good seed represents God’s Word and the people of the kingdom.
• Weeds, also known as tares or darnel, represent schemes of the devil sown while people sleep.
• Wherever there is growth, opposition should be expected.
• The enemy cannot uproot what God planted but can plant distractions nearby.

2. The Enemy’s Real Goal Is Distraction, Not Destruction

• Progress leads to attack, attack leads to distraction, and distraction can lead to self destruction.
• Illustration shared of a national news story falsely claiming Elevation faked baptisms.
• God’s response revealed that stopping the attack would also stop the impact that created it.
• The attack ultimately drew seekers, including a staff member now serving on the sermon slides team.
• Modern application shows that impact in parenting, relationships, and ministry often attracts attack.

3. Leave the Furnace to the Father

• Jesus explains privately that separating wheat from weeds is an end time task handled by angels.
• Believers are often poor judges of people, motives, and even their own work.
• Example given of worship leader Chris Brown misjudging the song “Graves into Gardens” before it became an anthem.
• David’s response to Shimei in 2 Samuel 16 shows trust in God rather than retaliation.
• Allow people to speak while trusting God to vindicate.

4. Let Both Grow Until the Harvest

• Pulling weeds too early can damage healthy wheat.
• Life seasons often include both joy and sorrow, success and setback.
• Spiritual perfectionism focuses on weeds and misses present wheat.
• Even David, a man after God’s heart, had visible weeds in his life.

5. Built for This Field

• The field belongs to the Master and He controls planting, protection, and timing.
• God places purpose in the seed before birth and opposition cannot override it.
• Philippians 1:6 affirms that God finishes what He begins.

Major Lessons and Revelations

• Impact is both proof of and reason for attack.
• God’s grace turns sabotage into testimony.
• Discernment is not judgment and judgment belongs to God alone.
• Growth discomfort often signals development rather than defeat.

Practical Application

1. When criticism arises, pause and ask if it is trying to distract from your assignment.
2. Begin each week by identifying wheat before addressing weeds.
3. Refuse social media battles and remain mission focused.
4. Parents, leaders, and mentors should keep sowing even when fruit seems limited.
5. Daily confession: “I am good seed in God’s field. What He planted, He will protect.”

Conclusion and Call to Response

• 2025 may not be weed free, but it will be God filled.
• Challenge issued to avoid pulling up potential harvest by reacting to present weeds.
• Corporate declaration inspired by Jude 24 and 25 affirming God’s power to sustain.
• Invitation given for salvation by grace through faith with many responding.