Action Speaks Louder Than Words, Part 1: Stop Giving God Lip Service

Sermon Scripture

Matthew 21:28–32 NLT

28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go. 31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?” They replied, “The first.” Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

Introduction- Parent’s Dealing With Rebellious Children

One of the hardest part of being a parent is dealing your child’s rebellion….

Children’s Pretend Obedience Versus Delayed Obedience

Illustration- Our children responding rudely to our instructions and deciding to obey later vs. our children giving us lip service and not obeying our instructions

Lip Service- an avowal of advocacy, adherence, or allegiance expressed in words but not backed by deeds

Our Childish Ways

Proverbs 14:12 ESV

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Transition To Body- Religious Leaders Challenging Jesus’ Authority

Matthew 21:23–27 ESV

23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

After What They Saw In The Temple

Matthew 21:14–16 ESV

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”

Body- Stop Giving God Lip Service

Performance Over Promise

Matthew 21:28–30 ESV

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.

Both Sons Are Not Without Guilt

Leviticus 19:3 ESV

3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

Actions Not Matching Words

The Gospel according to Matthew 1. The Parable of the Two Sons, 21:28–32

His words were good, but his actions did not match his words.

Not Everyone Who Says to Me, “LORD, LORD”

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Be a Hearer & Doer of Jesus’ Words

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

If You Love Me…

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

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Performance Over Promise

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Repentance Over Religion

Matthew 21:31 ESV

31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.

Who is the “You” Jesus is Speaking To?

Matthew 21:23 ESV

23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

Confession Without Repentance & Submission

Exalting Jesus in Matthew The Rejection of One of His Sons

this is a story of confession without repentance and submission.

John the Baptist’s Message

Matthew 3:7–11 ESV

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

When the Wicked Person Turns Away From All His Sins…

Ezekiel 18:21–24 ESV

21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

Will of his Father

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.2 θέλημα, τος

that which is desired or wished for—‘wish, desire.’ εἰς

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Performance Over Promise

Repentance Over Religion

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Grace Over Glory

Matthew 21:32 ESV

32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

New Testament 21:23–32—The Right Authority

The pious regarded tax gatherers and prostitutes as outside practicing Judaism. Jesus could not have chosen a much more offensive comparison.

John the Baptist’s Message

Matthew 3:2 ESV

2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Consider Your Calling

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 ESV

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Having No Hope & Without God…

Ephesians 2:12–13 ESV

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Believe 3X in One Verse

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 31.35 πιστεύω

to believe something to be true and, hence, worthy of being trusted—‘to believe, to think to be true, to regard as trustworthy.’

Repentant (Change Your Minds)

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 31.59 μεταμέλομαι

to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret—‘to change one’s mind, to think differently.’

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Performance Over Promise

Repentance Over Religion

Grace Over Glory

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Transition To Close- Reconciliation & Repentance

The Color Purple, based onAlice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, depicts the rural South in the early 1900s.

Shug Avery has lived a rebellious life and broke her pastor-father’s heart to follow her dream of becoming a nightclub singer. Pastor Avery, fearing that acknowledging her would be viewed as endorsing her lifestyle, has refused to speak to her for years.

On a summer Sunday evening, Shug is singing at the local juke joint, which is only a few hundred yards from the country church where her father is preaching. HIs sermon is on how everyone has been a prodigal at some time. The choir begins to sing “God is Trying to Tell You Something,” and their voices can be heard at Shug’s open-air club. Shug beins to sing the lyrics of the song she’s known since childhood.

She begins walking from the club toward the church. The club patrons follow her in single file. As Shug flings open the door of the church and walks down the center aisle she continues to sing, “God is trying to tell you something.”

Her father stares at his grown daughter, and his face softens. The words of the gospel song penetrate his heart. After years of ignoring his hurting daughter, he realizes God is indeed trying to get his attention. He removes his glasses and steps down fro the platform.

Shug races to her dad and embraces him. He wraps his arms around her in forgiveness, and Shug begins to weep.

2023 version vs. original movie

In the 2023 movie, Shug comes to the church by herself, walks in and sees/hears her Dad, the pastor, playing the piano and she begins singing...

In the original, Shug brings other sinners with her to the church after they hear the church singing from the church and loud enough to heard at the Harpo’s Juke Joint….

Close- Who Will Enter the Kingdom of God- The True (Repentant) Laborers of God

Matthew 3:2 ESV

2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 7:21 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 20:1 ESV

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

The Stone the Builders Rejected (Psalm 118:22-23)

Matthew 21:42 ESV

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

This is the Day!

Psalm 118:24–26 ESV

24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.