Time to Work
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 19 viewsGod doesn't call us to sit around, but rather to do the work of the ministry and to get with His program.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good evening and welcome back!
Tonight we are going to be in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 21.
And we are going to be looking at one of Jesus’ parables.
And, in this parable Jesus is addressing the religious leaders regarding the ministry of John the Baptist and the message of salvation.
Jesus is addressing those that claim to be "the church."
And at this point in Jesus' ministry, he is nearing the end of His time on earth and is coming under greater scrutiny by the Pharisees and Sadducees for His teachings.
They had already been plotting to kill Jesus.
But knowing this Jesus doesn't back off but begins to push harder against the "religious mainline."
In fact, just prior to this parable being given, they religious leaders had called into question the authority of Jesus to teach His teachings, claim of His deity, and perform the miracles He was performing.
Starting in verse 23, Matthew records this . . .
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
So, Jesus, instead of giving them an answer, turns the tables and asks them a question and tells them if they can answer His question, he would answer theirs.
Simple enough right?
The question, Jesus asked was regarding John's baptism and whether it was ordained from heaven or from man.
This caught the religious leaders between a rock and a hard place.
If they answered that it was from heaven, then Jesus' next question would be why didn't you believe him then?
However, if they answered that it was from man, then the people would revolt against them, because the people regarded John the Baptist as a great prophet from God.
So, what were they going to do?
They either had to answer as to why they did not believe what John was teaching or they had to risk a revolt of the people.
Their answer was a simple, "I don't know?"
They did not know how to answer, so Jesus' kept His promise and did not tell them whose authority He worked under.
Which brings us to our passage this evening that Jesus offers to them to explain things to them.
So, Matthew 21, starting in verse 28 . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
“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, “I tell you the truth, 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.
The Two Sons
The Two Sons
Now, I jut read the entirety of the parable, but for us to get a broader understanding I want to break it down into smaller chunks.
So, going back to verse 28 . . .
“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.
So, we have this parable about a man that has two sons.
And Jesus begins to describe the first son.
The father approaches this first son and tells the son to go and work in the vineyard.
Originally, the first son refuses, "I will not" but afterward this son repents and goes and works for the Father.
He must have been a teenager!
But what about the second son . . .
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
The father came and instructs the second son to go and work in the vineyard.
This son readily agrees to go, but this son never follows through.
This son offers the father "lip service" with no real commitment.
And this “lip service” is really the problem here.
If we go back to Matthew 15, Jesus tells us that . . .
“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”
Is it starting to make sense what Jesus is talking about here?
He is not talking about a man with two unruly teenage sons.
He is talking about the “religious people.
The people who are supposed to be worshipping God.
He is actually talking about us and drawing us to figure out which camp we belong in.
He goes on in verse 31 of our passage . . .
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
Which one was the father pleased with, the first one or the second one?
The answer was obvious, that the father was more pleased with the first one than the second.
The first one had been rebellious at first, but had repented and turned back to do the father's will.
However, the second one lacked follow through, lacked substance.
The father could trust the first one, even though he may have complained and grumbled a little.
At least the father could trust that this one would be faithful.
Knowing this and knowing the Jewish leadership’s answer, Jesus compared the first son to the harlots and tax collectors of the day.
These were the people of "low reputation" the "less than desirable," of Jesus' day.
These are the ones that the religious crowd frowned on, looked down on, condemned.
Jesus told them that the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before them, speaking about the religious leaders, the religious crowd!
Now, that probably got their goat just a little.
Here is Jesus saying that these reformed sinners would make it to heaven but these polished religious leaders didn't stand a chance!
But why?
What was wrong?
Why was Jesus saying these mean things to them?
The Way of Righteousness
The Way of Righteousness
Well, it all boils down to their attitude and the condition of their heart.
He goes on in verse 32 to say . . .
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.
So, Jesus then explains to them about John the Baptist and what John’s mission actually was.
He tells them that John came to them "in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not."
In other words, John came to them and preached to them about the way of righteousness.
And who was the way of righteousness that John was telling them about?
It was Jesus . . .
As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
And . . .
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
This was the message that John brought.
And what happened was, for a moment the religious leaders gave John some lip service . . .
John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.
So, initially they accepted John's teaching, until Jesus didn't match up to their expectations.
The same holds true for the religious leaders of today.
Everything is all good, until things get a little hard or things don't go their way.
Then they want to back up and change their beliefs.
They want to pay God some lip service, but there is no substance, no follow through, no depth.
You hear things like "that is a matter of interpretation," or "the Bible doesn't REALLY mean that."
Wishy, washy, over easy, lip service.
Again . . .
“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”
However, we must worship God in "deed and in truth."
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
In other words, what we say doesn't matter near as much as what we do and how we conduct ourselves.
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Sinner’s Believed
Sinner’s Believed
And as harsh as Jesus’ teaching here was, that wasn’t the end of it.
He continues . . .
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.
The lowest of the low had enough sense to believe and repent.
Those that had no training, no education were able to believe and repent.
The priests and religious leaders though, even after seeing this, were not able to.
But why?
Because those who repented lacked something that those who refused had.
They lacked pride.
Pride is what kept the religious folks from repenting.
They were blinded by that pride.
Instead of trusting God, they questioned God.
They thought that they were safe and had it all figured out.
They were following religious form and not following Christ.
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
And . . .
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
This was the attitude of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.
And sadly it is the attitude of many today.
We are being overcome and overwhelmed by the world and the ways of the world.
We are more concerned about form and fashion and not at all concerned about following Christ.
We have sunk into a form of godliness, but deny the power of God.
Many have prostituted themselves to the world.
But God calls us out of that.
God calls us to show others the way out.
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
And really the question is, what about us, here tonight?
We can sound the alarm about everyone else in the world, but what about us?
Where do we fit in?
Do we have it all figured out?
Are we in a place where everything is cozy and comfortable?
Have we made a promise to God to work in His vineyard?
Are we following through with that promise, or we you giving God "lip service?"
People often say things about the dirty, homeless, and addicts of our society.
They don’t want to work with them because “we feel uncomfortable.”
Well, how do we think they feel?
It's okay to be listed in the company of harlots and tax collectors, because . . .
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
However, it is what you do after you realize that you have sinned.
Have you repented and went to work?
You may be here and have repented but never went to work.
It is time to report to work.
Let’s pray . . .