Matthew 99
(Chapter 21)
Actions speak louder than words
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.’
29The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway.
30Then 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.
32For 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.
Actions speak louder than words
· Now Jesus has them on the ropes
· And is ready to put the smackdown on them
· And they don’t even see it coming!!
The three points of the passage, one per character, may be summed up as follows:
· “Like the father sending his sons to work, God commands all people to carry out his will.
· Like the son who ultimately disobeyed, some promise but do not perform rightly and so are rejected by God.
· Like the son who ultimately obeyed, some rebel but later submit and so are accepted.”
Even more concise is this summary: and the one we are going to talk about today
in the kingdom performance takes priority over-promise. This remains true in Christian circles today as much as in first-century Israel.[1]
Two different kinds of people!
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.’
29The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway.
30Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.
· So we have 2 different kinds of people here
· The first one is a rebel, he bucks the system
o He is a goat!
o He is hot-headed, probably very self-reliant
o Speaks before he thinks
o But is honest, a straight shooter
o And has a moral compass, has values
o Even though he will sometimes put his foot in his mouth
o This person is blue-collar, with callused hands, and a big heart
o You can count on him!
· The second
o This Guy is the shady one
o The wolf
o The stab you in the back kind of person
o Tell you what you want to hear kind of person
o They are always looking out for their own interest
o And will throw you under the bus the minute you get in the way
o You can not count on them at all!
The question
31“Which of the two obeyed his father?” They replied, “The first.”
· They replied and stuck their own foot in their mouths
o Religious folks talk the talk
o But they rarely walk the walk
o They speak it well but never live it out
· Actions speak louder than words!
· You can talk the talk all day long
o It’s just hot air
o It's the flapping of the gums
o The hey look at me statement
o With no teeth to back it up!
· Or you can never say a word and just do what is right
o What you do speaks more than what you say
o People are looking at the fruit of your life
o The change, what you do day in and day out
o The way you grind through problems
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” —Benjamin Franklin
· Excuses are just that, excuses
o Stop making excuses
o And work on your strengthening your relationship with Jesus!
Squirt guns and dixie cups
“I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.
· I have said it before, and I will say it again
· I would rather go and battle the gates of hell
o With believers that are a little rough around the edges
o That don’t say the right things always
o That battle sin openly
o That their yes is yes, and their no is no
o With some squirt guns and dixie cups of water
· than go with a fire hose and unlimited water supplies
o With the religious that say the right things
o But rarely do the right things
o That know all the right things to say
o But will step over you the minute the fires get hot
o That fold at the first sign of adversity
ARE YOU WITH ME CHURCH!!!
· Jesus loved the tax collectors and the prostitutes and despised the religious
o Because He saw the heart
It’s time for our leaders to walk the walk!
32For 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.
The moral of the story
WALK THE WALK YOU TALK!
STOP BEING RELIGIOUS AND START BEING A FOLLOWER OF JESUS!
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