We are living in the harvest period of the Gospel Age. Now, the “wheat” is being separated from the “tares.” Originally, Jesus sowed the wonderful gospel message. The seed was pure, and wheat (true Christians) grew. “But while his men (the apostles) were sleeping, his enemy (the devil) came and sowed tares (false doctrines) among the wheat and went away. 26 “But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. … 28 “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares (imitation Christians), you may uproot the wheat (true Christians) with them. 30 ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up (these will no longer pretend to be Christians; not eternal torment); but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Matthew 13:25-26, 28-30 (NASB95).

A tare looks like wheat, but it has no grain. It is not good for food. It is not until the harvest that the head of wheat, full of grain, bends with the weight of the seed. A wheat stalk is then easy to identify. The tare remains standing straight up. 

Since we are living in the end times, we are in the harvest. The true, consecrated Christians are to separate from denominations and be fed of God. This is the message the angel gives in Revelation 18:4, “…Come out of her (the tare field of denominations), my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;”  

No Christian denomination is the one true church. All have mixed doctrines of truth (wheat seed) and error (tare seed). We are to come out – not go to a different church. We are to come to and be fed by our Lord. We are to study the Bible and associate with other true Christians – not a mixed field of wheat and tares. 

Fellowship with your consecrated Christian friends about your Bible studies and consider forming a small home church. The early New Testament churches were all home churches. 

Additional Resources:

Download the free PDF:  “God’s Grand Plan of the Ages”

Christian Questions Podcast 
Episode #1296: “Do Christians Have to Go to Church?”
Understanding what the Christian church is and what it is not
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

Episode #981: What Makes a Church a “Good Church”?
Important foundation stones of a true Christian church
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

For children, parents and Bible class teachers: 
CQ Kids video: “Why do we go to church?”