“ . . . and he did not go”
Matt. 21.28-32
Chester FBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A There is a trilogy of parables Jesus gives to the Chief Priests & Elders of the people (21.23) who had rejected John the Baptist and Jesus Himself.
Matthew 21:23 (NASB) 23 When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?"
1 His is talking to the religious elite, the men who interpreted God’s Law, Keepers of the Temple.
a Men who claimed to give their lives in obedience to God, who thought they were of all men pleasing in God’s sight.
b Jesus shocks them by saying hookers & crooked tax-collectors would enter the Kingdom of God before they would (v.32.)
Matthew 21:32 (NASB) 32 "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.
aa Prostitutes were ladies who exchanged sexual services for money.
bb Tax-collectors received the tax for Rome from Jewish citizens plus a fee/profit.
cc One commentator referred to these two professions as “the scum of society.”
2 What a shock to the religious elite these words must have been coming from Jesus!
B The first parable in this trilogy is what we’ll exegete this morning, but I want you to be familiar with the other two.
1 The sequel parable is about a landowner who rented out his vineyard to vine growers. (21.33-40)
Matthew 21:33-40 (NASB) 33 "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 34 "When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 35 "The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. 36 "Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37 "But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38 "But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' 39 "They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 "Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?"
a When it came time for harvest, settle up with the land owner, he sends three slaves to receive his produce: vine growers beat one, kill the second, & stone the last one.
aa The land owner sends three more slaves ... the renters do the same thing with these three that they did the first three.
bb The landowner sends his son and they kill him too.
b Jesus asks the religious elite, “when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” (V.40.)
aa He’ll make them pay and then go find vinegrowers will pay him.
bb Jesus replied, “There I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.”
cc v.45, “ . . . they understood that He was speaking about them.”
2 The last parable Jesus speaks in this trilogy is about a King who is hosting a wedding feast for His son. (22.1-14.)
Matthew 22:1-14 (NASB) 1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 "Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."' 5 "But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 "But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 "Then he *said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 ~'Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.' 10 "Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. 11 "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he *said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
a The king sends out his slaves to call the invited but the invited refuse.
aa He sends them back out and the invited kill the slaves who are working for the king.
bb The king then sends out more slaves to the busy highways to invite anybody who will come! (They come!)
b As they fill up the hall, the King notices that one of the guests is not wearing wedding attire.
aa It was customary for a King to provide his guests with clothes to wear to the wedding; Clothes were available, accessible, at the disposal of the guests.
bb This guest is at the table in his field clothes (dirty, stinky, smelly.)
cc Matthew 22:12-13 (NASB) 12 and he *said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
3 At the center of each parable, including the one I’ll preach on, is the same teaching.
a To participate in the Kingdom of God, receive blessing/favor there must be a commitment to a life of righteousness & moral reform that accompanies our decision to follow Christ.
aa It wasn’t enough for the vine growers to grow grapes, they had to give back to the land owner.
bb It wasn’t enough for guests to come to the wedding feast, they hace to wear the right garments.
b It’s not enough to show up; we must serve the Kingdom of God the right way or it doesn’t count!
C Matthew 21:28-32 (NASB) 28 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' 29 "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go. 31 "Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus *said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.
I What does God command/expect from those He calls? (V.28)
A Matthew 21:28 (NASB) 28 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'
1 He didn’t hire a slave to work in the vineyard, but he commanded his own son.
a A slave works for a paycheck, for what the master can give/or do for him.
b A son will work in the vineyard because:
aa He loves his ol’man.
bb He has a vested interest in the vineyard doing well.
cc IL. I don’t pay the Fogerson boys to take out trash, fold towels, do laundry, pick up . . . I have/would pay other young people to help me out, but not my sons. (That’s are rules in my house.)
*If they need money, clothes, shoes, this or that . . . they got it.
2 I wonder how many Christians are working in the vineyard with a slave mentality? (I’ll work in the vineyard because I want God to do something for me.)
B The Daddy did not give a vague time he wanted his son working in the vineyard.
1 “Oh, when ever you get around to it . . .” or “When you get your other stuff done.”
a I want you there today! If you were in the vineyard now your already late!
b The time to serve the Lord is not when your older, have more “disposable” time, or when you have more experience. The time is today!
aa Young sons think they need more experience; Older sons are ready to retire from the vineyard.
bb You don’t retire from the vineyard!
2 John 9:4 (NASB) 4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
a Hebrews 3:7 (NASB) 7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
b If you are going to serve in the vineyard/Kingdom please don’t wait until later.
C IL.When is a Saint’s work done? When can a believer drop their yard tools, wipe the sweat off their brow and call it a day?
1 When we have done our best and God is glorified. That’s when we will hear a voice that says don’t be weary in well doing.
a John 9:4 (NASB) 4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
b As Christians, we believe we must work until our day is done.
aa We are not satisfied until we give our best and God is glorified.
bb Today, do the work that God puts in your hand. Don’t be satisfied until it’s done in a way that will please him.
II How did the sons respond?
A There’s much ado made about who the sons are (Jews & Gentiles; Israel & the Nations), but I see the bigger picture.
1 The first son said, “I will, sir’; and he did not go.” V.30
a He’s a smooth talker (as smooth as butter, sweet talking man good with his words)
aa There is an implication in the text that although he said he’d go, truth be told, he had no real intention of ever going to the vineyard.
bb All his talk, vibrato didn’t mean anything because he wasn’t going to work.
b He said, “Yes” and did nothing more about it. (Bogus commitment)
2 I wonder how many people say they are “saved” because they’ve said the prayer, filled out a card at a church, . . . told God, “I will, sir!” but fail to do what He had called them to do?
a Saying your religious does not qualify you to enter the Kingdom!
aa Christianity without repentance is paganism or unscriptural Christianity.
bb When you become a Christian, Jesus didn’t redecorate you, He made you new!
b Pastor Jerry Shirley says, “People today are quick to make commitments, or just give what they believe is the ‘right answer’ to get rid of you, but with no intention of following thru. Or, sometimes they have the right intention, but no character to keep their word.”
aa I don’t believe every person who calls Jesus Lord is truly, legitemitly converted.
bb Matthew 7:21-23 (HCSB) 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ⌊only⌋ the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’
cc I am not trying to make you question your conversion, I’m wanting you to examine your commitment.
c Many people have joined the church and are religious and think they are Christians . . . but they’re not!
aa They can perform their church rituals, give mental assent to the doctrines, but they’re not genuine believers unless there has been a transformation in their lives!
bb 2 Corinthians 5:17 (HCSB) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, ⌊he is⌋ a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.
B The second son came right out and said, “I will not; yet he afterward regretted it and went.” (V.29)
1 The two sons represented the two classes of people in the nation: the self-righteous religious people and the sinners.
a The latter group initially told the Father, “No, we’re going to keep on doing what we’re doing, in this case, was making money & having sex for money.”
b After hearing John the Baptist’s message (Matt.3.2), they turned their “no” into actions by going to work in the vineyard.
Matthew 3:2 (NASB) 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
aa These people were “the scum of society,” but after they repented they got into the Kingdom!
bb They didn’t have all the doctrine down, know all the Law, . . . they just knew their sins were forgiven and now it’s time to live for the Master.
cc v.31, “Which of the two did the will of the father?” they said, “The latter.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax-gatherers and harlots will get into the kingdom of God before you.”
2 Being religious doesn’t get you into the Kingdom AND gross sin, once it is repented of, will not keep you out!
a The final analysis of this parable is simple: It is the fruit of our lives that prove whether or not we’re submissive to God’s message through His messenger.
b In the text I see three possible outcomes . . . (Bullets)
aa Tell God yes and do what you said you were going do.
bb Tell God no and then repent and do what He wants you to do.
cc Tell God yes but do not do anything about the commitment you made to God.
Conclusion:
A We’re not all shocked that people who reject Christ will be cast into a lake of fire for all of eternity. (It breaks our hearts)
1 What some will find shocking will be the amount of people who professed Christianity that won’t make into the gates! (Matt. 7.21-23, previously cited)
a Paul understood this when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:27,
1 Corinthians 9:27 (NASB) 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
b He was constantly on guard against becoming too complacent. He was constantly renewing his commitment to be obedient to the Call of God.
2 That’s where we must be this morning!
a We must be vigilant in not allowing Satan to deceive us into being inactive in the work of the vineyard.
b We must stay involved, stay busy, and keep working for the Lord lest we find ourselves cast aside!
B Which son are you?
1 Have you said no, but deep inside you desire to follow the Lord?
a Today is the day that you can come to Jesus and finally say yes.
b He is only waiting for your answer and He already has a great life prepared for you if you will only obey Him and go to work in His fields.
2 Have you said yes, even accepted Christ as your Savior, and then quit working in His vineyard?
a Have you fallen into Satan’s trap, believed his deceiving lies and been caught in the web of life’s cares and troubles but missed the Call of God to work in His fields?
b Come back now! Turn your eyes upon Jesus and surrender your life back to Him!
aa Get on your working clothes and get busy in the fields of the Lord! God’s work, that He has called you to do, is still there, waiting for you to obey Him!
bb Do it now, don’t wait! It may be too late tomorrow or even tonight! Don’t force God to cast you aside as an unprofitable son!
3 The field needed & the father wanted both sons working in the vineyard.
a It’s not an issue of popularity or skill . . . it’s one of repentance and commitment!
b IL.God is still welcoming prostitutes and publicans into His kingdom. Iris Blue grew up in Houston, Texas. She lived a rebellious life and got involved in drugs, alcohol and prostitution when she was a teenager. When she was seventeen she was arrested and spent seven years in prison. When she got out of prison, she went back to the streets. She was part of the Banditos motorcycle gang, addicted to heroin and had numerous abortions. As she grew older, she graduated from being a prostitute to being a pimp. Her "office" was a topless bar in a sleazy part of Houston.
One of her former clients became a Christian. He was radically transformed and started witnessing to Iris and others who were still in that destructive lifestyle. He visited Iris at the bar and told her she needed Jesus. She cussed him out. He called her up and told her how much God loved her, and Iris hung up on him. One day he called and asked her to meet him outside the bar. That night he told her he couldn't see her anymore because he had made a commitment to God that he wasn't going to hang around with tramps anymore. Let me pick up the story at this point in Iris' own words:
"When he called me a tramp, I wanted to cut his throat. I thought, 'All this week you've been calling me and telling me how precious I am to God and that I was valuable. And now in one word, I was garbage."
But before I could strike back he said, "You don't even understand, Jesus can turn you into a lady." When he said the word, "lady," it was like something just exploded inside me. And I thought, "All I've ever wanted to be was a lady."
He said, 'You see, it's really like a marriage--it's not just believing. Because if just believing in Jesus would save you, you would have been saved when you first heard about Jesus. But it's a commitment of your life to Him, saying, 'I give you me.' It's not just a one-way street. Jesus gets all of you and you get all of Him. Are you ready?"
I said, "I'm ready." He said, 'Okay, I'm going to lead you in a prayer, kind of like a wedding. And He said, "Jesus, do you want her?" I didn't hear nothing, but he said, "Jesus said, 'I do.'" And then he said, "Iris, do you want Jesus?" And I said, "I do."
We knelt there on the sidewalk. Nobody was playing, 'Just as I am.' But it was like I could feel the music on my knees. He said, 'Pray with me.' Then he took my hand and led me in that prayer. It was like God pulled back a curtain on my heart. And on March 31, out in front of an old bar, I knelt down a tramp, a loser, and a zero. And I stood up a lady, clean pure forgiven, innocent, blameless, cherished, brand new. My life was different."
You may think you're too good to take the Gospel to bad people like that. Well, that's too bad, because for bad people the Good News seems too good to be true--but that's why bad people consider it to be good news!
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Mike Fogerson
