|
PRINCIPALS AND PRINCIPLES
Matthew 22:15-22 Dr. Charles Franklin DeVane, Jr., Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas October 25, 2015 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. — Matthew 22:15-22, ESV This is the first of four crucial question and answer sessions between Jesus and the Jewish religious rulers who were trying to do away with Him (ref. Matthew 22:15-22, 23-33, 34-40, and 41-46). The first three were instigated by those rulers, the last by Jesus Himself. Today we will take on the first part which leaves us with important principles to live by. The principal characters in this passage include the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Lord Jesus Christ. The principles involve a Christian’s duty to the governments of this present world and to the kingdom of God. There is complete contrast between the principals in this case. There is certain conflict between the principles. What can we learn from this clash of principals and principles? The Principals The Pharisees represented the extreme right wing of Judaism in Jesus’ day. And, they were extremely legalistic, judgmental, and hypocritical. They despised and tried to marginalize anyone who disagreed with them. They hated the Herodians, but they hated Jesus more than they hated the Herodians, so the Pharisees teamed up with the Herodians to try to trap and kill the Lord. The Herodians were named for the half-Jewish ruling family who where wholly on the side of the Roman Empire. They engaged in religious works, even the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, but their main work was political and financial, enriching themselves by endearing themselves to Caesar and Rome. They considered the Pharisees to be narrow-minded zealots, a nuisance that never threatened their hold on power. John the Baptist and Jesus, however, had publicly exposed their sin and shame, at times threatening to turn public opinion against them. The Baptist they executed unilaterally, but they thought they needed the Pharisees help in order to get rid of Jesus. What forms is an odd mathematical equation. When you add the Pharisees to the Herodians, the sum is the opposite of the Lord Jesus Christ. The principal Pharisees and Herodians were duplicitous, dishonest, and out for someone else’s blood. Jesus, on the other hand, was principally sincere, truthful, and willing to shed His own blood for others. It reminds us of something Jesus said about Himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (ref. John 14:6). One of the reasons that God allows us to see evil in the world is to point us to the good. Look again at the principals in the story. Do you want to follow the Pharisees, all arrogant and judgmental? Do you want to follow the Herodians, selling your soul for money and political power? Or, do you want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ? The Principles What if I were to ask a “yes” or “no” question of one of the married men in the congregation. “Have you stopped beating your wife?” Either answer implicates him as an abusive husband. This is the ploy the Pharisees and Herodians tried to pull on Jesus. “Yes” or “no,” should Israelites pay taxes to Rome or not? Now we learn why they teamed up. A “yes” answer puts Him on the side of the Herodians, and the Pharisees could attack. A “no” answer puts Him on the side of the Pharisees, and the Herodians could attack. Either way, one group gets to pursue Jesus in the court of public opinion in an effort to drag Him before the Roman courts for crucifixion. Nice trick. But, Jesus did not fall for it. He called for a coin and answered cleverly with one of His most famous quotes from Scripture: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God’s.” In doing so, He gives God’s people and all people great principles to live by. God’s people must obey government, or suffer the consequences. The early Christians went to great length to render unto Caesar (ref. Romans 13:7; 1 Peter 2:13-14), even when Caesar rendered ungodliness and persecution. When they did disobey, it was only when the government tried to force them to disobey the clear commandments of God. In the principal case, the powers that be ordered the Christians to stop witnessing and preaching the gospel, but true Christians could not acquiesce (ref. Acts 5:29). Ironically, most Christians in our day don’t witness the gospel very much no matter what God or government says. Consequences for civil disobedience in Christian history have included death, torture, imprisonment, loss of money or job, and social ostracism. Who wants any of these? So, submit to your government in every possible way, unless those ways try to force you to disobey God. Then, accept the consequences and use them to make the gospel greater for the glory of God. The first principle Jesus meant principally for believers, even at the cost of earthly punishment. The second principle is primarily for unbelievers, at the cost of eternal punishment. All people must obey God, or suffer the consequences. If Caesar wanted taxes, what does God want? Quite simply, He wants it all. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my life, my soul, my all. — Issac Watts Saving faith is a pledge of total obedience to God. This is what it means to call Jesus “Lord.” The consequence of disobedience to this principle is complete: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (ref. John 3:36). It is a biblical principle that salvation is by faith. It is also a principle that faith cannot be separated from faithfulness. Furthermore, faithfulness to God does not necessitate absolute perfection, but it does require total dedication. So, totally dedicate your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, or prepare to suffer the consequences. Though the Pharisees and Herodians did not succeed in trapping Jesus with this question, they did succeed in nailing Him to the cross. Jesus disrespected and disobeyed their authority and suffered the consequences of death, and resurrection, and eternal life in Heaven. The Pharisees and Herodians disrespected and disobeyed Jesus, and unless they truly repented and believed, suffered the consequences of living with what they had done, final judgment by the true and living God, and eternal death in Hell. In the end, there is an enormous difference in these principals and their principles.
0 Comments
A BANQUET AND A BONFIRE
Matthew 22:1-14 Dr. Charles Franklin DeVane, Jr., Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas October 18, 2015 1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find. ’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? ’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast 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. — Matthew 22:1-14, ESV Sometimes we sit through a church service or listen to a sermon and wonder when it is going to end. The same feeling can overtake us when we are watching a movie, reading a book, even studying the Bible. When is this world going to end? God has not told me. He has not told me when, but He has told me how, right here in the Gospel of Matthew. The end of Jesus’ ministry on earth was not a crucifixion and resurrection. Rather, it will be a banquet and a bonfire. And you have a ticket with your name written on it to one, or the other. The Banquet Matthew, whose emphasis is on Jesus as the Messianic King of Kings, offers this royal parable. The image is a great wedding banquet thrown by the King for His son. It is an occasion for celebration and consummation. It is an end and it is a beginning. It is the beginning of a great new end-time. It is for the glory of the King and His son, and the good of all who are there. But just who is there? Those who attend this banquet will be those who honor the King’s word. The King sends forth His word through His servants (prophets, preachers, witnesses). They testify of the King’s invitation. Many ignore it, but a precious few find in it the good news that leads to abundant and eternal life. Those who attend this banquet will be those who honor the King’s Son. I got my first job out of college because I had been nice to someone’s son. A parent loves those who love his or her child. Those who attend this banquet will be those who honor the King. Those who through humility place the value of the word and the virtue of the son above all else. Those who bring nothing to the table but their need. Both good and bad can be humble and needy. Honor is offered when we bow before the King, acknowledge Him as Supreme, and ask for what only He can give. Then, we can be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Then, we can eat the eternal food of God. Then, the celebration begins. But not all will celebrate with the King. The Bonfire At this present time, tragedy and triumph run in a continuous cycle. In the end-time to come, the two will run on very separate tracks. While one group is enjoying the eternal bliss of the banquet, a larger group will be suffering through the torment of a bonfire, otherwise known as Hell. People who go to this end-time place will be those who on earth were too busy to listen to God. Too many today are more concerned with fields and business than with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are apathetic towards the gospel, the church, and the things of Christ. People who live in this end-time place will be those who on earth were too proud or pleasure-seeking to submit to God’s word. Worldly people would much prefer to be rebels rather than subjects. They don’t make movies like “Servant without a Cause” or TV shows about “Friends” who abstain from premarital sex, serve God, and go to church. People who live in this end-time place will be those who on earth were too broad-minded to accept the narrow way of God’s Son. The last image of a person being tossed into the bonfire of Hell is the most frightening. He thought he was going to the banquet. But he was wearing the soiled clothes of his own religious making, instead of the righteous robe of Christ which comes by grace through faith. The liberal preachers, TV talk show hosts, and pluralistic people who embrace a broad way of salvation outside of the exclusive blood of Christ will watch in horror on that day as they are escorted outside the safe parameters of God’s table and cast into outer, utter, eternal darkness. They would not listen, they would not come, or they tried to enter in the wrong way. The banquet they will miss, and the bonfire will be their last. The Beginning of the End Yet you can almost hear the table being set and the candles being lit. The end is yet to begin, but surely it is near. Do you have an invitation? You have had one for quite some time. The glory of creation is a sign pointing heavenward to God. The word of God and the witness of prophets, preachers, and followers of Christ is the fuel that fires your way. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the bus that brings you to the blessed banquet of God. You are invited to come. But will you be chosen to sit at the table? Will you be chosen? God knows. He is sovereign, and He does the choosing. But you can know and you can choose, too, for though He is sovereign, He keeps out no one who wants to come to Him on His terms. In high school I was invited to Florida State University, to home football games, even to Coach Bobby Bowden’s home. However, on national signing day, I was not offered a scholarship. I was invited, but not chosen. As a baseball player I was invited to a one-day camp with the Pittsburgh Pirates. When the draft came the next week, I was not picked. I was invited, but not chosen. My ability was not good enough. If you are trusting in your own ability to go to Heaven, you will not be chosen. However, if you listen to the gospel and the word of God, plead for the grace and mercy of God, and follow in obedience to the Son of God, you are not trusting in ability but in God’s grace, and grace will lead you home. Works wind up at the bonfire, but grace grants a place at God’s table. Bonfire or banquet? Many are invited, but few are chosen. Where will you be at the beginning of the end? THE PARABOLIC FULFILLMENT OF A PROPHETIC PSALM
Matthew 21:33-46 Dr. Charles Franklin DeVane, Jr., Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas October 11, 2015 33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son. ’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance. ’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. — Matthew 21:33-46, ESV In the days before He died, Jesus would have been meditating upon Psalm 118. It is one of a handful (Psalms 113-118) of celebratory and prophetic psalms that are traditionally sung at major Jewish festivals, especially the Passover. Psalm 118:22-25 says, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success. It predicts a rejection leading to a coronation that brings salvation to those who successfully call upon the name of the Lord. The parable Jesus preaches here elaborates on the success of seeing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord by pointing out the failure of those who do not. The stone will roll. Heads will roll. What will your role be? The Failure of Israel At first glance this is a pointed parable that clearly points out the failure of Israel to recognize Jesus of Nazareth as their appointed Messiah. The master is God, the vineyard is His kingdom, and the first lease was given to the nation of Israel via the Old Covenant. The servants are the prophets and authors of Scripture, and the son is, of course, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus told the existing chief priests and Pharisees, to their face, to face up to what they were about to do, namely reject, arrest, and crucify the Messiah. This is exactly what Israel did, and Israel has never been the same. Upon the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, God took His kingdom away from the Jews and gave it to the fledgling church. The church embraced the Son, received the Spirit, and to this day produces the fruit for which God is looking for. Israel can no longer be considered God’s people, for you cannot be God’s people when you reject God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Perhaps I should reiterate here that I love the modern state of Israel, having traveled there myself for the adventure of my life. They are an ally to our country, an admirable democracy existing in a sea of hostility, a beautiful people with a wonderful heritage. But they are not God’s people, no more than any people from any country who reject the gospel and refuse to belong to the church, which is God’s New Covenant vineyard, the visible expression of the kingdom of God. But not all members of the church are God’s people, either. The Failure of the Church A second glance at this parable portends potential problems for the church, too. At the first coming of Jesus, our Lord found very little faith in the flock of Israel. I fear He will find only a true remnant of faith within the church when He comes again. I believe this is what Jesus meant when He said what He said in Luke 18:8, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Consider also that the failure of the Hebrews at the end of the Old Covenant is also the failure of many in the church during the New Covenant, according to Hebrews 6:4-8, For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. People within the church and in heavily churched societies, like ours, reject Jesus Christ all the time in all kinds of ways. Professing Christians deny the authority of the prophets who wrote Scripture, persecute pastors who preach the truth, and contradict central doctrines like the Trinity, the historicity of Christ, and the substitutionary atonement that cancels sin, and the fact that anything is a sin in the first place. Whether they stay in or walk out, they choose to reject the word of God and the gospel in exchange for a vague belief in works righteousness that would make any ancient Pharisee proud. They are not God’s people, either, no matter how many times they have been baptized or received communion, for you cannot be God’s people when you reject the life, death, and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. So, there are at least two ways to fail according to this parable. You can be an Old Covenant Jew who rejects Jesus as Messiah, or you can profess to be a New Covenant Christian and deny the Lord all the same with false professions of faith or the faulty practice of the faith. Jesus puts these two ways in another two ways in verse 44: "And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” Attack Jesus, fall on the stone, and you will fail. Ignore Jesus, let the stone fall on you at death or at His second coming, and you will fail. Failure is ultimate the rejection of the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is the default position of Jews and Gentiles alike. Not many fail to admire, appreciate, even love Jesus. But almost no one needs Him. The chief priests and Pharisees did not, for they thought they were good enough without Him. So do most people sitting in synagogues, churches, and living rooms today. They are living relatively good and utterly failed lives, and one day the stone will roll. The Opposite of Failure The opposite of failure is success. But just what is success, according to God? Consider a couple of words from both Old Covenant and New, from Joshua 1:8 and Hebrews 11:6: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Success as defined by God is hearing and heeding the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Another term for success on these terms is faith. “Success” is not found per se in the New Testament, but it is full of “faith.” Fortunately for us, there were a few Jews in Jesus’ day who successful recognized Jesus as God’s Son and Savior. By grace through faith they made sense of the person and work of Jesus Christ. They were the fledgling apostles and disciples who became the first church. Since then, the successful church has grown into a multitude of true believers from every race and country on earth. We produce the fruit of the Spirit that God is looking for now and when He returns to earth. And when He does, the true church will be singing Psalm 118:22-25, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success. The stone is rolling with ever increasing speed. Do not attach Him or ignore Him. Successfully give and live your life for the Lord Jesus Christ, in true repentance, real faith, and trusting obedience to His word. Then you will avoid the pessimistic point of this prophetic parable. Then you will have true and everlasting success. FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND FINAL INSPECTIONS
Matthew 21:28-32 Dr. Charles Franklin DeVane, Jr., Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas October 4, 2015 28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today. ’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but 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, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go 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 the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. — Matthew 21:28-32, ESV Two sons are found two times in Jesus’ teaching, here and elsewhere in the more familiar passage found in Luke 15:11-32. While the parable of the prodigal son is more dramatic and memorable, this particular parable in Matthew makes the same point more plain and simple. It is not the first impression that determines whether or not a person is a Christian. It is the final inspection that counts. A first impression of Jesus would have not been that great, insomuch as He dressed very plainly, spoke with a Galilean accent, and had recently been in the business of throwing people out of the Temple and killing fig trees. As Isaiah had predicted, the Messiah was an average looking fellow for His time. People had difficulty figuring out if they should follow Him, ignore Him, or get rid of Him (which, in the course of a couple of days, they would do). The chief priests and the elders of the people put on a grand introduction. Their dress was immaculate, their speech articulate, and their familiarity with the things of God seemed exhaustive. People respected them, wanted their sons to grow up and be like them, and deferred to their opinions about who Jesus was and what He came to do. They made a good first impression, to be sure. But upon final examination, one that God will conduct upon every person, they would have been found wanting. However, this parable is not about them, Jesus and the priests. It is about those who follow their ways, characterized by one son or the other. One admittedly makes a sinful start, yet comes around. The other makes a loud and boastful profession of faith, yet lacks substance. By the end of the story it should be clear whether you are a son following the Son or a son following your own self. First Impressions The first son makes a very poor first impression. Told by his father to go to work in the vineyard, a clear reference to the kingdom of God, he flatly displays disrespect and disobedience. “I will not,” he said. He thought he had better things to do. Don’t we all? When I was a young boy, my parents put in a garden and told me to go work in it. It was the most backbreaking, boring, waste of time work I could ever imagine. Given the choice, I would have said no way. I’d much rather watch television, play ball with my friends, sleep, or do anything other than work in my father’s field. An honest first response to the gospel would be basically the same. Follow Jesus? That can’t be any fun! Go to church every time the doors are open? Boring! Give up the opportunity to engage in any kind of sex, experiment at any lengthy with alcohol or drugs, or otherwise spend my time having doing nothing but having fun and making money? No way! There is a word for such a response to a good and gracious Heavenly Father. It is the opposite of faith. It is called sin. Sin is a rejection of the gospel and the Lordship of Christ in order to do things your own way, on your own time, on your own terms. The first son embodied this response, sin, at least in the first impression. First impressions are important, but they don’t have to be permanent. No matter what you’ve done, as long as you are living, there is still time for a change. In the case of the first son who made a false start, something radically changed. He was a sinner, like all of us. He longed to prostitute himself with sex or fill his greedy pockets like the tax collectors, then he changed his mind, or more literally, he repented. Suddenly, working in the father’s vineyard didn’t seem so bad. As a matter of fact, it seemed the best way to spend his life. As far as the Father is concerned, his son’s false start, his sins so many, did not matter anymore when the son repented and returned to the father’s kingdom. False starts are bad, but you can overcome them. False professions are worse. False Professions The second son starts off swimmingly. “I’ll go, daddy, I’m not like that no good brother of mine.” He even called his father “Sir,”which can also be translated “Lord.” “Yes, Lord,” is a good profession of faith, a good start, a good first impression. A first impression can be a good thing, but it is not the main thing with God (ref. Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46). I think one of the most damaging and damning things we have done in modern day evangelicalism is exaggerate the importance of a “profession of faith.” We ask people to raise their hand, walk an aisle, fill out a card, pray a prayer, or do other silly or superficial things to claim Christianity. None of these are biblical, historical, or deeply spiritual ways of coming to Christ. They set people up to be the second son in this parable. The great Billy Graham, whom I love and respect, has even admitted that over ninety percent of the people making decisions at his crusades probably do not become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Another well known evangelist, whom I loathe, once boasted of 188 converts in a single crusade in our town. My best pastor friend and I observed from the edges, then engaged in serious follow up. No church could report any of these “converts” actually following through in scriptural baptism and responsible church membership. The chief priests and elders of the people professed faith in God, then murdered the Messiah. The second son signed a pledge card to go work in the vineyard, then didn’t show up. Over sixteen million people in America have professed faith in a Southern Baptist churches (and that number would be more than doubled if you count all of the so-called decisions made at church services, revivals, vacation Bible schools, and youth trips, who never even bother to get baptized), yet only a small minority can be found in any of the churches during a typical Sunday worship service. So, should we not profess our faith in Jesus Christ? Of course, we should! But we should do so biblically, in serious baptism and regular communion. We should recognize publicly those who commit to responsible church membership and those who are selected for spiritual church leadership. But most of all, we should profess our faith in the way we practice our faith, daily and weekly, working and worshiping for our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. And, He will be checking to see that we do. Final Inspections At the end of the day, a false start can be overcome and a false profession will be found out. It is the final inspection that matters, one that will be conducted not by chief priests or church pastors, but by God Himself. How did the father know that the son who disobeyed came to obey, and the son who feigned obedience was actually disobedient? His omniscience not withstanding, He went to the vineyard Himself and looked to see who was really working. He was inspecting the fruit, not the fruit of grapes on the vine, but the fruit of genuine faith in His sons. Upon final inspection if your life and mine, what will God be looking for? I promise you, He won’t ask you to raise your hand, walk an aisle, or sign some pledge card to be a good Christian. He will be looking for greater things, deeper things, most notably faith, repentance, and obedience. You must have faith. Faith is a gift from God (ref. Ephesians 2:8; 2 Peter 2:1) that you profess to God (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-13) in response to the word of God (ref. John 5:24; Romans 10:17) about the Son of God (ref. John 3:16). John the Baptist spoke to people about the Messiah, Jesus Christ (ref. John 1:29,36). Jesus spoke to people personally about His kingdom (ref. Mark 1:15, etc.). That second son really did not believe there was a kingdom in those vineyards. Those religious rulers did not believe that John and Jesus were telling the truth. But that first son did, in spite of a false start. Some of those tax collectors and prostitutes did, and their lives were forever changed. Do you believe that what the Bible says about Christ and His kingdom? Do you have faith? Genuine faith is always accompanied by real repentance (ref. vs. 29; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38). That first son changed his mind. Saved tax collectors and prostitutes changed their lifestyles. Repentance is a radical and humble way of saying to God, my way is wrong and your way is right. I’m going to go your way, the way of righteousness, the will of the Father. Faith without repentance is hypocrisy. Repentance without faith is legalism. But faith with repentance is what God is looking for when He inspects your life. Do you have faith? Do you have repentance? If faith and repentance are genuine, then adding the two together results in obedience (ref. 1 Samuel 15:22; John 3:36, 14:15; James 1:22; 1 John 2:1-6). Obedience is proving your profession of faith by practicing your faith. Obedience is not a burden, but a delight (ref. Matthew 11:28-30). A true Christian is glad to worship, hungry to study, eager to give, bold to witness, and willing to work in the vineyard of the Father. We may not always say or do things perfectly, but when God inspects all things, our heart is in the right place. For in our hearts there is faith, repentance, and obedience to God, exactly the things that God is looking for. Don’t fear a false start, we all make them, and realizing you’ve fallen down is the first step towards getting up. Don’t make a false profession of faith, for easy believe-ism is the easiest way to Hell. Go to the vineyard. Pass through baptism, come back for communion, publicly and privately worship God, read and obey the Bible, work, give, and, most of all, love. Be the son who follows the Son, and upon final inspection you will hear Him say, “Well done.” |
AuthorDr. Charles F. "Chuck" DeVane, Jr., is the Pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His weekly sermon article, "The Gospel Truth," has been published in newspapers in Arkansas and Georgia. Dr. DeVane is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has served in the pastorate for over 20 years. Contact Pastor Chuck at PastorChuck@lakehamiltonbaptistchurch.org
Archives
December 2020
Categories |
RSS Feed