Properly Approaching (American)privilege-6 Series

PROPERLY APPROACHING PRIVILEGE-VI—Matthew 21:33-46

OR:

A CHRISTIAN APPROACH To (American)PRIVILEGE

Need:

Christians, like many Americans, can center their Privilege & Pride upon illegitimate sources.

Thru this parable, Jesus highlighted/clarified a proper approach to a God-ordained privilege.

There is a Proper(Christian) Approach to Privilege.

What is a Proper/Christian Approach to Privilege?

Or

How should Christians approach their God-ordained privilege?

9 approaches to American privilege.

We have previously discovered that we must

Approach our privilege with...

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT(:33a)

2. RELIABILITY/Trustworthiness(:33b)

3. AVAILABILITY(:34)

4. HUMILITY(:35-39)

5. SENSIBILITY(:40-41)Logic/Reasonableness

6. BUILDING(:42)Edification

7—Approach your privilege with...

A PARTICULAR & PERTINENT PRODUCT(:43)

Explanation:(:43)Productivity/Production/Crops/Particular

:43—“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you & given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”

I almost chose the word ‘production’ or ‘productivity’ rather than ‘product.’ Because I was afraid some of you might equate ‘production’ or ‘productivity’ with merely ‘being busy’, which it is not! The ‘Product’ of ‘production’ is fruitfulness by God & for God, thru Christ Jesus!

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you...”

Jesus pointedly told them that true to the application of the above parable, “the kingdom of God” would be taken from them[the current spiritual leadership/Representative of the state of the Nation of Israel].

The Kingdom of God is always an offer!...It can be refused or accepted.

Though they saw themselves as God’s children, they very effectively denied it.

2Tim. 3:1-5—“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

None of those attributes are born of God or godliness. They are born of flesh. That is why we are instructed to turn away from them!

They denied their potential as God’s children, by preferring their own directives & direction, over those of God. They were disobedient to God’s directives & direction though they had the appearance of obedience in the outward manifestation of their religion.

“Therefore”—dia touto—=‘Through this’

“Say”(See :41, 45; :38—epw)—legw—Verb—1) To say, to speak—1a) Affirm over, maintain, 1b) To teach, 1c) To exhort, advise, to command, direct, 1d) To point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say, 1e) To call by name, to call, name, 1f) To speak out, speak of, mention. Strong—a primary verb; properly--To "lay" forth, i.e. figuratively--Relate (in words [usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while rew is properly, to break silence merely, & lalew means an extended or random harangue]); by implication--To mean.

“You”2X—umin—Pronoun Dative 2nd Person Plural—1) You. Strong—irregular dative case of umeiv[irregular plural of su; you(as subjective of verb)]; To(with or by) you.

“Kingdom”—basileia—Noun Fem.—1) Royal power, kingship, dominion, rule—1a) Not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom, 1b) Of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah, 1c) Of the royal power & dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom; 2) A kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king; 3) used in the N.T. to refer to--The reign of the Messiah. Strong—properly, royalty, i.e. abstractly--Rule, or concretely--A realm(literally or figuratively).

“Taken/Taken away”—airw—Verb—1) To raise up, elevate, lift up—1a) To raise from the ground, take up: stones, 1b) To raise upwards, elevate, lift up: the hand, 1c) To draw up: a fish; 2) To take upon one's self & carry what has been raised up, to bear; 3) To bear away what has been raised, carry off—3a) To move from its place, 3b) To take off or away what is attached to anything, 3c) To remove, 3d) To carry off, carry away with one, 3e) To appropriate what is taken, 3f) To take away from another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force, 3g) To take & apply to any use, 3h) To take from among the living, either by a natural death, or by violence, 3i) Cause to cease. Strong—a primary root; To lift up; by implication--To take up or away; figuratively--To raise(the voice), keep in suspense(the mind), specially--To sail away(i.e. weigh anchor); by Hebraism[compare asn[to lift]]--To expiate sin.

“...& given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”

The Landowner(God) will give the “Kingdom of God” to a “nation”/people which will produce the “fruit” which the landowner is seeking...The “fruit” of God’s kingdom.

The entire Kingdom of God is given/offered & can thus be taken!

This “nation” to which God promises “the kingdom” does not necessarily have political boundaries, although different political boundaries can house God’s people in differing ways. An entire political entity may attempt to make the LORD their God(Ps. 33:4-15) & thus set up it’s laws from such commitment.