Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
Explore the parable of the landlord and his tenants in Matthew 21:33-46, emphasizing the importance of receiving from God, giving back to Him, and understanding the consequences of neglecting these responsibilities.
Good morning, church! Today we'll be digging into a powerful parable from the Gospel of Matthew. Now, I don't know about you, but I always find Jesus' parables so rich, so full of deep meaning and life lessons. They're like onions, aren't they? As you peel back each layer, you discover more and more to chew on. Our focus today will be on Matthew 21:33-46, a parable about a landlord and his tenants.
In the parable, the landlord, who represents God, had certain expectations from his tenants. He had invested time, effort, and resources into the vineyard, setting it up for success. He built a wall around it for protection, dug a winepress for processing the grapes, and constructed a watchtower for overseeing the vineyard. He then entrusted it to the tenants, expecting them to care for it and produce fruit.
God's expectations for us: He has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He has provided us with resources, abilities, and opportunities. He has protected us, guided us, and watched over us. And like the landlord in the parable, He expects us to use what He has given us to bear fruit.
Not merely material or physical: It's not just about what we can produce or achieve in terms of worldly success. Rather, the fruit God desires is spiritual. It's the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
God expects us to be: Faithful stewards of the resources He has entrusted to us. This includes our time, talents, and treasures. We are to use these not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others and for the glory of God.
Respect and honor His messengers: In the parable, the landlord sent his servants to collect his fruit, but the tenants mistreated them and even killed them. This represents how people often reject and mistreat God's messengers, including His prophets and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Listen to His Word: We need to receive it with humility and obedience and to respond with faith and repentance. He expects us to recognize His authority and to submit to His lordship.
Recognize and respect His Son, Jesus Christ: In the parable, the landlord sent his son, thinking that the tenants would respect him. But they saw him as a threat and killed him. This represents how people often reject Jesus, refusing to acknowledge Him as the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
Receive Jesus with faith and gratitude: He wants us to honor Him as our Lord and Savior and to follow Him in obedience and love.
Be ready for His return: In the parable, the landlord eventually comes back to deal with the tenants. This represents the second coming of Christ, when He will return to judge the world and to reward those who have been faithful.
Live in anticipation of His return: He wants us to be watchful and ready, to be faithful and fruitful, and to be eager for His appearing.
The tenants in this parable are not just any tenants; they are entrusted with a vineyard, a symbol of abundance, prosperity, and God's blessings ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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