Participants:
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP181020A
|
00:11 Good morning, church family.
00:13 Good morning. 00:14 How are you today? 00:16 Good? 00:18 Turn to someone beside you and tell them 00:19 how you're doing today. 00:24 It's so good to be 00:26 able to gather as a family this morning, 00:27 and we're doing a little bit of 00:29 a different style of music together. 00:31 And I just want you to think about 00:32 sitting in the living room together, 00:34 singing some old favorite songs, 00:37 and worshiping God as a family. 00:53 There's a land that is fairer than day 00:57 And by faith we can see it afar 01:01 For the Father waits over the way 01:06 To prepare us a dwelling place there 01:10 In the sweet by and by 01:15 We shall meet on that beautiful shore 01:19 In the sweet by and by 01:23 We shall meet on that beautiful shore 01:28 We shall sing on that beautiful shore 01:32 The melodious songs of the blest 01:36 And our spirits shall sorrow no more 01:41 Not a sigh for the blessing of rest 01:45 In the sweet by and by 01:50 We shall meet on that beautiful shore 01:54 In the sweet by and by 01:59 We shall meet on that beautiful shore 02:20 To our Father. 02:21 To our bountiful Father above 02:25 We will offer our tribute of praise 02:30 For the glorious gift of His love 02:34 And the blessings that hallow our days 02:39 In the sweet by and by 02:43 We shall meet on that beautiful shore 02:48 In the sweet by and by 02:52 We shall meet on that beautiful shore 02:56 In the sweet. 02:57 In the sweet by and by 03:02 We shall meet on that beautiful shore 03:06 In the sweet by and by 03:11 We shall meet on that beautiful shore 03:36 Shackled by a heavy burden 03:44 'Neath a load of guilt and shame 03:52 Then the hand of Jesus touched me 03:59 And now I am no longer the same 04:05 He touched me. 04:07 He touched me, oh He touched me 04:15 And oh the joy 04:18 That floods my soul! 04:23 Something happened and now I know 04:31 He touched me 04:33 And made me whole 04:39 Since I met this blessed Savior 04:47 Since He cleansed and made me whole 04:55 I will never cease to praise Him 05:02 I'll shout it while eternity rolls 05:09 He touched me, oh He touched me 05:17 And oh the joy 05:21 That floods my soul! 05:26 Something happened and now I know 05:33 He touched me and made me whole 05:41 He touched me, oh He touched me 05:49 And oh the joy 05:53 That floods my soul! 05:57 Something happened and now I know 06:05 He touched me and made me whole 06:15 Aren't you glad that Jesus can reach down 06:18 and make that change in your life? 06:20 He can make us whole 06:22 and, you know, it's not just a one time thing, 06:24 Jesus wants to continue to mold us and shape us 06:27 and make us more like Him. 06:28 And I love this next song 06:30 because it talks about the power 06:31 that Jesus can give us day by day through the blood. 06:34 I want to invite you to stand with me 06:36 as we continue singing together. 07:02 Would you be free from your burden of sin 07:06 There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood 07:11 Would you o'er evil a victory win 07:15 There's wonderful pow'r in the blood 07:19 There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r 07:23 In the blood of the Lamb 07:27 There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r 07:32 In the precious blood of the Lamb 07:36 Would you be free from your passion and pride 07:40 There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood 07:45 Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide 07:49 There's wonderful pow'r in the blood 07:53 There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r 07:57 In the blood of the Lamb 08:02 There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r 08:06 In the precious blood of the Lamb 08:11 Would you do service for Jesus your King 08:15 There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood 08:19 Would you live daily His praises to sing 08:23 There's wonderful pow'r in the blood 08:27 There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r 08:32 In the blood of the Lamb 08:36 There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r 08:40 In the precious blood of the Lamb 08:45 Amen. Wonderful. 08:50 You know, God gives us power and he gives us strength, 08:52 but that doesn't mean that 08:54 we don't go through difficult times, 08:55 it doesn't mean that we don't wonder about the future. 08:58 But the good news is that 08:59 He wants us to lay that at His feet 09:00 and He wants to walk with us through the difficult times. 09:04 And so if you have something on your heart, 09:06 something in your life that you're struggling with 09:08 or that you really feel like 09:09 you need God's help to go through, 09:13 I want to invite you to come forward 09:14 as we sing this last song. 09:23 I don't know about tomorrow 09:29 I just live from day to day 09:36 I don't borrow from the sunshine 09:43 For its skies might turn to gray 09:50 I don't worry o'er the future 09:57 For I know what Jesus said 10:03 And today He'll walk beside me 10:10 For He knows what lies ahead 10:17 Many things about tomorrow 10:24 I don't seem to understand 10:31 But I know who holds tomorrow 10:38 And I know who holds my hand 10:49 Ev'ry step is getting brighter 10:55 As the golden stairs I climb 11:02 Ev'ry burden's getting lighter 11:09 Ev'ry cloud is silver lined 11:16 There the sun is always shining 11:23 There no tear will dim the eye 11:30 At the ending of the rainbow 11:37 Where the mountains touch the sky 11:43 Many things about tomorrow 11:51 I don't seem to understand 11:58 But I know who holds tomorrow 12:05 And I know who holds my hand 12:12 Many things about tomorrow 12:20 I don't seem 12:23 To understand 12:28 But I know 12:32 Who holds tomorrow 12:37 And I know 12:41 Who holds my hand 12:55 my hand Good morning, boys and girls. 12:57 It is good to see you guys. 12:58 In fact, I'm not going to lie, 13:01 it is nice that we have this story each week 13:04 where we bring all the best-looking members 13:05 of the church upfront 13:07 just to talk to them. 13:09 I like that. 13:10 So I had a story all picked out 13:13 and I took it to my children's story committee 13:17 just last night and Emit said, "No, no. 13:21 This is the story you need to tell." 13:23 And you know what? 13:24 He was right. 13:26 And so without further ado, 13:31 a long, long, long, long time ago, 13:33 before even some of you were born, 13:36 there was a dog. 13:39 He was my dog. 13:41 His name was Eddie. 13:43 And Eddie was the most playful, most fun dog 13:46 you would ever meet. 13:47 He loved to play. He played all the time. 13:50 When I would wake up in the morning, 13:51 as soon as my eyes would open, 13:53 he's say, "Oh, good, you're awake." 13:54 And he would drop a tennis ball right on my chest. 13:56 And if I was trying to sit at the desk, 13:58 working on something, he would take the tennis ball 14:00 and shove it under my leg to let me know, 14:02 "Hey, let's play." 14:05 And one night, I stayed up a little bit later 14:08 than I probably should have and I was about to go to bed 14:10 and I realized, "Oh, no. 14:13 I haven't let Eddie go out 14:15 to go to the bathroom yet tonight." 14:16 And so I opened the door and he ran back out 14:18 behind the back of the house 14:21 and I heard two sounds. 14:24 I heard two sounds that were not good sounds at all. 14:28 The first sound I heard was a... 14:30 Sound 14:33 and the second sound was Eddie howling 14:36 as he came running around the front of the house 14:38 with his tail between his legs. 14:40 And there's something you should know about me, 14:44 I do not have the best sense of smell. 14:49 That's a whole another story. 14:51 I cannot smell well. 14:53 This is part of why Pastor Jose and I are such good friends. 14:57 But I don't have the best sense of smell... 15:04 But I smelled enough to know exactly what had happened. 15:08 Eddie had been sprayed by a skunk. 15:11 Now I've got a picture of Eddie 15:12 that we can put up here on the screens 15:14 so that you can see exactly what Eddie looks like. 15:19 Yes, but you will realize a tomato juice bath 15:23 was not a good idea for this white dog. 15:26 I did not want a pink puppy. 15:29 And so I got online 15:30 and I researched what you needed 15:32 and you needed hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, 15:35 and a little bit of dish soap, 15:37 and I realized I don't have enough hydrogen peroxide 15:39 and so I needed to go out and buy it, and the only place 15:42 that was still open at that time of night 15:44 with hydrogen peroxide was Walmart. 15:48 And I'm hoping none of you have been to Walmart 15:50 at this time of night. 15:54 But the people who go to Walmart, 15:56 they don't really care about getting dressed 15:59 in the right clothes for going out. 16:01 A lot of them are in their pajamas. 16:03 This is true. 16:06 And you know what? 16:07 These people in their pajamas, when they would see me, 16:10 they would make the most disgusted faces 16:13 and they would cross over to the far side of aisle 16:15 and they didn't want to get too close to me 16:17 and I thought, "My, goodness, what is going on?" 16:21 And then I realized it. 16:23 I realized the valuable truth and that is, 16:25 if you hang out with skunks, you too smell like a skunk. 16:31 But here's the good news, kids. 16:33 If you hang out with Jesus, 16:36 you too smell like Jesus. 16:39 When you hang out with Jesus, you too sound like Jesus. 16:43 When you hang out with Jesus, you too look like Jesus. 16:46 And so when you hang out with Jesus, 16:48 it prepares you to tell other people about Jesus. 16:52 How many of you this week 16:54 want to tell somebody else about Jesus? 16:59 Awesome. Awesome. 17:01 I think that if we could get all of you guys 17:06 telling your friends, telling your neighbors about Jesus, 17:09 oh, man, we could turn 17:11 Berrien Springs upside down this week. 17:14 Let's do that. 17:15 Now I need a volunteer. 17:19 Oh, be careful raising your hands yet. 17:20 You don't know what I'm going to ask for. 17:22 I need a volunteer to pray. 17:24 And the first hand I saw was this guy. 17:27 And I'm not just choosing you 17:28 'cause you have a fantastic name, 17:29 but come up, Martin. 17:33 Okay, and can you pray and ask Jesus 17:36 to help us to spend time with Him 17:38 so that we can tell others about Him this week? 17:41 Yes. 17:42 Dear Jesus, thank You for this day. 17:44 Thank You for our family and our friends. 17:47 Please make us know about You 17:49 and make us to tell all about You. 17:53 And thank You for loving us. 17:55 In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. 17:57 And as you go back to your seats, remember, 18:00 when you spend time with Jesus, 18:03 you smell like Jesus. 19:52 We are His hands 19:57 We are His feet 20:00 We are His people 20:04 Children of the Lord 20:09 We share the hope 20:14 We share the dream 20:17 Believers in Jesus 20:20 Children of the King 20:27 His Spirit lives within us 20:36 Flowing like a river 20:45 Filling us with strength 20:49 So that we can 20:53 Reach out for our brothers 20:58 Help one another 21:02 We are His hands 21:06 We are His feet 21:09 We are His people 21:12 Children of the Lord 21:17 We share the hope 21:21 We share the dream 21:24 Believers in Jesus 21:27 Children of the King 21:33 Some of us build 21:36 Some are teachers 21:42 Some can sing like angels 21:49 But all of us can love 21:54 Like He loved, pure and simple 22:02 So warm and gentle 22:06 We are His hands 22:10 We are His feet 22:13 We are His people 22:16 Children of the Lord 22:21 We share the hope 22:24 We share the dream 22:28 Believers in Jesus 22:30 Children of the King 22:48 We are His hands 22:51 We are His feet 22:54 We are His people 22:57 Children of the Lord 23:02 We share the hope 23:06 We share the dream 23:09 Believers in Jesus 23:12 Children of the King 23:17 We are His hands 23:20 We are His feet 23:23 We are His people 23:26 Children of the Lord 23:31 We share the hope 23:35 We share the dream 23:38 Believers in Jesus 23:41 Children of the King 23:47 Amen! 24:01 We are His hands, we are His feet, 24:04 the children of the God, and His people. 24:09 Oh, that's what we needed today. 24:11 Coming right out of the congregation, 24:14 coming right out of the audience 24:16 because that's where it's got to come from 24:19 as business of the kingdom is not about 24:21 whole bunch of upfront people 24:23 that are going to somehow figure out a way 24:25 to pull it to a conclusion. 24:27 Impossible. 24:29 It'll have to come out of the pews. 24:32 I guess the first flash mob 24:34 we've ever had in the Pioneer Memorial Church. 24:37 They did well, very well. 24:39 Now let's pray. 24:41 Oh, God, we are the hands, Your hands. 24:45 We are Your feet. 24:47 It's not about up front and in the back, 24:50 it's all of us. 24:53 Oh, let that be clear. 24:56 Let that be clear in these 24:59 twin vintage tales right now. 25:03 We pray in Jesus' name. 25:05 Amen. 25:07 You know what a rhetorical question is? 25:09 Question or a rhetorical question, 25:10 it has the answer embedded in it 25:12 and it assumes you do not expect an answer. 25:16 Is the pope Catholic? 25:18 No, we know. 25:20 Or in the words of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, 25:24 "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" 25:29 Yup. 25:32 Writers and speakers use rhetorical questions, 25:34 they somehow highlight the point 25:36 they're trying to drive through. 25:38 Paul was no exception. 25:39 He has a rhetorical question 25:41 he once asked and nobody even remembers it. 25:42 I bet you never even read it. 25:44 Let's put it on the screen. 1 Corinthians 9:7. 25:47 Paul, rhetorical question, 25:49 "Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes?" 25:52 Nobody. Why? 25:54 Because vineyards are hard work. 25:57 They're not easy-peasy flower gardens. 25:58 Are you kidding? 26:00 If you plant a vineyard, you have one solitary mission 26:02 and that is to harvest G-R-A-P-E-S. 26:08 I'm going to repeat that. 26:09 If you plant a vineyard, you have one solitary mission 26:11 and that is to harvest G-R-A-P-E-S. 26:14 Jesus said, "I'm the vine, you're the branches. 26:16 He has one solitary mission 26:18 and that is to harvest in you G-R-A-P-E-S 26:22 or through you. 26:24 So when we end with these twin vintage tales... 26:29 One of them is strange I got to admit it, 26:30 I like the other one better. 26:32 But when we end with these vintage tales, 26:34 that's precisely the point they're making. 26:37 They're both in the Book of Matthew. 26:38 In fact, they're only in the Book of Matthew. 26:42 Must be a big deal 26:44 because they happened in the week of His execution. 26:46 He saves the best till last. 26:48 Let's go to vintage tale number one. 26:50 Open your Bible to Matthew Chapter 21. 26:52 Vintage tale number one. 26:53 And by the way, put the title's slide on the screen please 26:57 because vintage... 26:58 You know what vintage means, of course. 27:00 Vintage is the harvest of the vineyard, its grapes. 27:02 That's what it means, it's harvest. 27:04 Vintage tales, two last stories, 27:07 one final truth 27:09 because Jesus is all about harvest. 27:11 Remember Jesus once... Where was this? 27:13 Matthew 9:38. 27:18 "The harvest is plentiful..." How does that go? 27:20 "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 27:23 Pray that the Lord of the harvest 27:24 will send out laborers." 27:26 Isn't that what He said? 27:27 He's big on the vintage. Let's go. 27:30 This is vintage tale number one. 27:32 Matthew Chapter 21. 27:35 This thing we're talking of that, 27:36 I don't even have it myself. 27:38 Matthew Chapter 21. 27:40 I'm in the NIV. 27:43 He's just been accosted by the Pharisees, the elders, 27:46 the hierarchy of the church always after anybody 27:49 that's not in line with their particular persuasion. 27:52 They're nailing the young man, 27:53 who cleaned the clock of the temple yesterday, 27:56 that would be Monday, today is Tuesday morning. 27:58 They jump him, he's ready, and Jesus speaks. 28:00 Okay, He asks them a question, verse 28. 28:03 Matthew 21:28. 28:04 "What do you think? 28:06 There was a man who had two sons. 28:08 He went to the first and said, 28:10 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 28:12 'I will not,' he answered, 28:15 but later he changed his mind and he went. 28:17 Then the father went to the other son 28:18 and he said the same thing. 28:19 And he answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go." 28:23 Then Christ asks the question, 28:25 "Now which of the two did what his father wanted?" 28:29 Once upon a time, there was a father, 28:30 he had two boys. 28:32 Both children have the same father, 28:34 both children live in the same household, 28:36 both children live near the same vineyard, 28:38 and both end up lying to their dads. 28:41 In fact, David Redding calls them 28:43 identical twins in deceitfulness. 28:45 Both are lying. 28:47 "I will not go." 28:48 One lied, but later changed his mind and went. 28:50 "I will go." 28:52 One lied and never went. 28:54 Now which one of the children did what their father wanted? 28:59 Let's see how it gets answered here. 29:01 Go back to verse 31 again. 29:02 "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" 29:04 And, of course, the Pharisee is drawn 29:06 into that sharp little tale. 29:08 Can't help themselves and respond 29:09 and nail themselves. 29:11 The Pharisees cry out, "The first,' they answered. 29:15 Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, 29:17 the tax collectors and the prostitutes 29:20 are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.'" 29:23 You were talking about the scum, 29:24 I mean, in the eyes of the Pharisee, 29:26 these are the moral... 29:29 They are the moral scum of society 29:32 for which Pharisee, scribes, and elders have zero time. 29:36 I'm telling you what? 29:37 "They're in the kingdom ahead of you." 29:40 "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors 29:41 and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God 29:43 ahead of you. 29:44 For John..." That would be John the Baptist. 29:46 "Came to you to show you the way of righteousness, 29:47 and you didn't believe him, 29:52 but the tax collectors and prostitutes, 29:54 they believed him. 29:55 And even after you saw that they were believing him, 29:58 you did not repent, you did not believe." 30:02 Oh, you're right. 30:03 Tax collectors and prostitutes, God comes to them and says, 30:06 "Hey, I want you to be in My kingdom." 30:08 "No! I'm not going to Your kingdom. 30:10 I love what I'm doing." 30:13 But through the mighty preaching 30:15 of that thundering wilderness prophet, 30:17 the Holy Spirit convicts them and by the droves, 30:19 they respond to the appeal and they enter the kingdom. 30:23 Whereas those who walk around and say, "Yeah, I'll go, yeah. 30:25 Of course, I'm already in God." 30:28 They refuse entry. 30:31 So which one of the two? 30:33 Which one of the two did the will of the Father? 30:35 Did what the father wanted? 30:37 Are we the second son or are we the first son? 30:39 Come on, you tell me. Are we the second... 30:41 You, are you the first son or the second son? 30:45 Let's change this around a little. 30:46 Will that be all right? 30:47 Let's tweak a few words in the parable. 30:49 It's in your study guide, there's a study guide 30:51 that you've got tucked away in that worship bulletin, 30:52 nothing to fill in. 30:54 But we'll put it on the screen. 30:55 Let's read the parables with a slight adjustment. 30:58 "There was a Father who had two congregations. 31:01 He went to the first congregation 31:03 and he said, 'My people, go and work today in My vineyard.' 31:05 'We will not!' 31:06 The congregation retorted, 31:08 but later they changed their mind 31:09 and went to work in their Father's vineyard." 31:10 Why? 31:12 Because they wanted to harvest G-R-A-P-E-S, 31:14 the vintage. 31:16 "Then the Father went to the other congregation 31:17 and said the same thing, 31:19 'My people, go and work today in My vineyard.' 31:21 And the congregation responded, 'We will, Lord.' 31:24 But they did not go 31:25 and work in their Father's vineyard. 31:27 So which of the two congregations did 31:30 what their Father wanted?'" 31:32 The end. 31:35 Which one? 31:37 It's a good and fair question I suppose, 31:39 after all, it's quite clear that to western sensibilities, 31:43 congregations in this culture, we just don't do evangelism. 31:49 We can't do it in our culture. 31:51 You can't go out to a vineyard and make this big fuss 31:53 about getting people that are lost out there 31:54 and bringing them into the church, no. 31:56 That's what you do in South America, 31:57 that's what you do in Inner America, 31:59 that's what you do in Africa, that's what you do in Asia, 32:01 but you don't do it in the West. 32:02 No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 32:04 We're not going to do it. No, we're not going to do it. 32:08 But that congregation got to thinking sometime later, 32:12 "You know we've tried everything else 32:14 but it doesn't seem to work. 32:15 The church is not growing. 32:18 What should we do?" 32:19 I wonder they asked each other. 32:24 "Maybe we don't have anything to lose 32:26 to move into public evangelism. 32:28 What if we join with the Father in His mission 32:31 to move out into the vineyard and seek and save the lost? 32:35 We've tried everything else. 32:36 Look at the church, it's still not growing." 32:40 And that congregation reversed themselves. 32:45 "We got to get out of these sterile brick walls. 32:48 We need to get out into the vineyard around us." 32:51 They went. 32:55 But there were two congregations 32:58 Jesus tells us. 32:59 And the second congregation when they heard the idea 33:01 that the plan of God, what it said, "Count on us. 33:03 We believe in that strategy, get out into the vineyard." 33:08 But the problem was, "Amen. Yes, Lord. 33:11 At your service," resulted in nobody going 33:14 into God's vineyard. 33:16 Not the congregation, not the pastor, nobody. 33:20 Oh, sure, they kept having church, 33:21 they kept finding reasons to have the lights on 33:23 once a week inside their building, 33:25 but in the vineyard, nobody. 33:28 Solitary mission of the organization 33:31 that they were a part of is to harvest G-R-A-P-E-S, 33:35 but nobody's harvesting G-R-A-P-E-S, 33:38 they're just huddling together once a week, 33:41 high fiving the glory of their music 33:44 and the inspiration of their preaching, 33:45 and that's it. 33:51 No grapes, no growth, 33:55 no goal. 33:58 So which congregation would we be? 34:02 I told you, this isn't a real comfortable vintage tale. 34:05 I like the other one better. 34:07 Let's do the other one, vintage tale number two. 34:09 Once upon a time there was a landowner 34:11 with a very sprawling vineyard. 34:13 We're talking humungous. 34:15 And on the day before, he went out in the afternoon 34:18 and the smell of concords in the air. 34:22 "Tomorrow it is." 34:24 He informed his foreman 34:25 and long before 6 o'clock in the morning, 34:27 the foreman is up, jumps into that rusty trusty, 34:30 pick-em up truck, races up and down 34:32 the hilly country into town. 34:33 From miles away, you can see the dust of his harry. 34:36 Before 6 o'clock, he arrives at that street corner. 34:39 There they are, the migrant workers, 34:41 some legal, some not legal. 34:43 "Hey, guys, you want to work today?" 34:45 Rhetorical question. "Do you want to work today? 34:48 I'll pay you what's fair, a day's wage. 34:51 Get in. Let's go." Boom. They're gone. 34:54 Racing out to the sprawling vineyards. 34:57 Six a.m., workers... 35:00 They begin. Oh, I love this story. 35:03 Nine o'clock, the same foreman walks out there 35:05 and he says, 35:08 "We're not going to be able to do it with this bunch. 35:11 I better go and get some more." 35:12 Jumped into that same old rusty dusty, pick-em up truck, 35:16 and into town. 35:17 There they are, same street corner, 35:20 just before 9. 35:21 "Yo, you boys want to work? Girls, come on, let's go. 35:25 I'll pay you what's fair." 35:26 They get in and out do they go. 35:28 Fresh arms now joining the picking, 35:30 the vintage is being harvested. 35:33 Around noon, the same foreman walks out, 35:35 up and down those aisles, and amidst all the chatter 35:37 of the workers working together 35:39 and yelling at each other, he does the arithmetic. 35:41 "This isn't going to work." 35:43 Twelve o'clock he goes back, you know the drill now. 35:45 Same corner, there they are, still hired. 35:47 "Yo, you guys want to work?" Rhetorical question. 35:50 "Get in my pick-em up truck. Let's go." 35:53 And they go. Fresh hands now join. 35:55 Three o'clock in the afternoon. 36:00 Measuring the distance from the sun to their eyes 36:03 because nobody works in the dark 36:04 in a land that has no electricity. 36:06 Three o'clock in the afternoon, "We've got to get more." 36:09 Back in the same old beat up truck. 36:11 "Hey, guys. I see you. Come on, let's go." 36:13 They jump in, and now fresh, three o'clock in the afternoon, 36:16 hands are joining and everybody is scrambling. 36:18 "We're going to get the harvest today." 36:20 But at five o'clock, that same foreman walks out. 36:24 "This is not good. 36:25 I'm going to have to have more workers." 36:27 Back in the truck. 36:28 "Hey, why are you guys still sitting here?" 36:30 "'Cause nobody has hired us." 36:31 "I'll hire you and I'll pay you what's fair. 36:33 Let's go." They jump in. 36:35 And in the last hour, the eleventh hour, 36:40 they got it done, they got the harvest in. 36:45 After everybody's high fiving 36:47 and looking at that barn filled with vintage, 36:51 the landowner walks out and he says to the foreman, 36:53 "Hey, listen, nice job today. 36:54 I want you to start with the guys 36:56 who came last, okay? 36:57 You start with them and pay them 36:59 and then pay everybody else, okay?" 37:00 So that's exactly what happens. 37:05 They come up 37:06 and when they see twelve hours worth of pay, 37:09 their eyes pop out of their heads. 37:12 They cannot believe it. 37:14 And the guys in the back, "Did you see that?" 37:20 Wait till we get up to the front!" 37:23 They get up to the front to the cashbox 37:25 and guess what. 37:28 Twelve hours of pay. 37:29 "Wait a... Time out!" 37:31 And the place erupts in anger. 37:34 Let's let Jesus pick it up. 37:35 Just turn one page back from Matthew 21, 37:38 now you're in Matthew 20. 37:39 Jesus picks it up the story right here, verse 11. 37:41 "And when they, the twelve hour workers 37:44 received their wages, 37:46 they began to grumble against the landowner." 37:48 Verse 12. 37:49 "These who were hired last worked only one hour,' 37:52 they said, 'and you have made them equal to us 37:54 who have borne the burden of the work 37:55 and the heat of the day.' 37:57 But he answered one of them, 37:58 'Hey, yo, yo, calm down, calm down. 38:01 I am not being unfair to you, friend. 38:03 Didn't you agree to work for a day's wage? 38:07 Take your pay and go. 38:09 I want to give the one who was hired last 38:11 the same as I gave you. 38:12 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? 38:15 Or are you envious because I am generous?'" 38:19 Oh I love that line. 38:21 "Are you envious..." Put it up. 38:24 "Because I am generous?" 38:28 Don't you just love this portrayal of God? 38:31 "I am generous with sinners, 38:33 I take people that others wouldn't take. 38:35 I am generous with laborers, 38:36 I take people that others wouldn't take. 38:38 I am generous with workers, I'll take them 38:40 to the very last minute if they'll join my team. 38:43 Are you jealous because I am generous? 38:49 Come on, we've got room for more. 38:52 Get on, jump in. I need all hands on deck." 38:56 And did you notice by the way that 38:58 when the foreman is hiring, there is not a word about age. 39:01 "Okay, hold it up. How old are you? 39:05 Okay, we'll take him." 39:06 There's not a word about race. 39:08 "Yo, what's your ethnicity? Okay, we'll take you." 39:12 There's not a word about gender. 39:14 "Are you woman or are you man? 39:17 We can only take one." 39:19 Not a word. 39:21 There' not a word about ability. 39:22 "No, no, no, no, no. 39:24 You don't have the ability. I'm awfully sorry." 39:26 The generous landowner is living under the proposition 39:30 that it's all hands on deck in the eleventh hour. 39:34 Everybody gets to work. 39:36 Nobody's excluded, nobody's left out, 39:39 nobody's categorized and saying, 39:41 "You'll stay over here." 39:43 Nobody is withheld the joy of being part of a team 39:49 and even leading a team 39:50 that is bringing in the vintage. 39:53 Nobody is held out. 39:57 "Or are you jealous? 40:01 Are you envious that I am generous?" 40:07 I love the picture of the Father in this story. 40:11 "It's eleventh hour, folks. I'm taking everybody." 40:15 And by the way, do you notice this 40:16 about the Father being as generous as He is? 40:19 He is not looking for an excuse to keep people out, 40:22 He's always looking for an excuse 40:24 to bring people in. 40:26 That's just the way He is. 40:28 He's not finding a way for some to not serve, 40:31 He's always looking for a way to have everyone serve. 40:39 "Are you envious 40:43 that I'm generous? 40:45 I've widened 40:47 what you are apparently not happy with? 40:54 Are you envious that I am generous?" 40:58 Wow. 41:00 The reality is, 41:03 the issue in both of these vintage tales 41:04 is not about the Father's help, 41:06 it's not about the Father's hire, 41:08 it's about the Father's heart. 41:10 That's the truth of the two vintage tales, 41:13 what kind of Father do we have. 41:16 It's all about His heart because you know why? 41:20 I'll put this on the screen for you, 41:21 I need you to get this 41:22 because if we have the Father's heart, 41:26 we will work the Father's harvest. 41:30 That's just the way it works. 41:32 If we have the Father's heart, 41:34 we will work the Father's harvest. 41:37 And what kind of heart does the Father have? 41:39 Are you kidding? 41:41 You don't know? 41:43 I mean, in another gospel like... 41:45 Which one was it? Who can remember? 41:47 Didn't Jesus once tell a story about a lost sheep, 41:51 and a lost coin, and a lost boy? 41:56 And is it coincidental that in every one of those stories, 42:00 they all end with this jubilant noisy celebration. 42:05 Why? Because the lost has been found. 42:08 Apparently, when Jesus says there is more joy in heaven 42:12 over the one lost found sinner than the 99 un-lost, 42:17 un-working in the vineyard, unwilling to evangelize, 42:20 save people, He's saying something pretty big. 42:24 "We get more joy out of harvesting lost 42:31 than rototilling the saved. 42:35 We're getting kind of tired of rototilling the saved." 42:38 "Always having to turn the ground over 42:40 just to keep Him happy. 42:42 Give me some more of that. 42:43 Just keep us happy 42:45 and you'll be okay in this church, 42:47 this congregation." 42:51 Wow! 42:53 If we have the Father's heart 42:54 apparently, we will work in the Father's harvest. 42:57 "Or are you envious that I'm generous?" 43:00 I wish I could go to Google right now. 43:06 I should have thought about this last week. 43:07 I wish I could've gone to Google this last week 43:09 and I could say to Google, 43:10 "Look, look, Google, find me that picture. 43:12 I got to have that picture. 43:13 I want everybody here to see it on this big screen 43:15 and I wish we could make this a panoramic screen 43:18 so that you could see the picture 43:20 because, Google, if we can see this picture, 43:22 we might know why there's so much joy 43:25 in the Father's heart over even one that returns to Him 43:28 or comes to Him for the first time." 43:30 I couldn't find the picture. 43:32 All we have, as far as I know, is a word picture 43:34 and I need to end with you looking 43:36 in the back of your Bible to the Book of Revelation. 43:38 Revelation Chapter 7. Here's a word picture for you. 43:41 We can't put it up on a Google screen, 43:43 we can't find a copy of it anywhere, 43:45 but, boy, oh, boy. 43:47 This is John boy who's become old man John 43:49 on the Isle of Patmos and he's shown the picture. 43:52 He's shown the picture so he's seen it. 43:54 I wish we could see it too. 43:55 This is Revelation 7:9. 43:57 This is a picture of heaven. 44:00 I love this. Revelation 7:9. 44:02 "And after this, I looked and there before me 44:04 was a great multitude that no one could count." 44:07 Now the Greek word there for count 44:09 is aríthmi_si_ 44:11 from whence comes our English word arithmetic. 44:14 "So I saw a crowd so big 44:16 that nobody could punch the numbers. 44:17 Nobody could calculate, do the arithmetic 44:20 on how many people are standing 44:21 in front of me right now in this picture. 44:23 It's just they are innumerable." 44:26 Do you know who they are? 44:27 They're all lost people who got saved. 44:30 Wow. Where are they from? 44:33 "From every nation, tribe, people, and language, 44:36 standing before the throne and before the Lamb. 44:38 They were wearing white robes, 44:39 are holding palm branches in their hands, 44:41 and they're crying out in a loud voice, 44:42 in this picture, 44:44 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, 44:46 and to the Lamb, our Father and our Savior.'" 44:51 Keep reading. 44:52 "All the angels were standing around the throne 44:54 and around the elders and the four living creatures. 44:56 And they all fall down 44:57 on their faces before the throne 44:58 and they worshiped God, and they cry out, 'Amen! 45:01 Praise, and glory, and wisdom, and thanks, 45:03 and honor, and power, and strength 45:04 to our God forever and ever. 45:08 Amen!'" 45:10 A seven fold doxology of joy. 45:15 Are you kidding? 45:16 The Father of us all, the Savior of us all, 45:19 the Holy Spirit friend of us all, 45:21 they have been waiting millennia for this moment. 45:24 Don't you suppose 45:26 there will be a wild celebration 45:29 on those streets of gold one day? 45:33 "The lost, 45:36 our lost children have come home." 45:41 Here's a question for you. 45:43 How many of those people will be in that picture one day 45:49 because of you? 45:51 I want you to think about that. 45:54 How many of those people will be in the picture one day 45:58 because of you? 46:01 Because of me? 46:03 Or did we spend our energy serving the church 46:06 or attending the church or being part of the church 46:10 with that which brought not a single soul home? 46:18 How many for you, Dwight? 46:23 Did you have to ask? 46:25 Bruce Wilkinson takes this moment, this picture... 46:28 And you have the words in your study guide, 46:29 this is great quotation. 46:31 Put it on the screen for you as well. 46:32 Bruce Wilkinson, "God has shown us..." 46:36 You see it on the screen. 46:37 "God has shown us how our story ends 46:39 with countless people from every nation on earth 46:43 crying out joyfully to God." 46:46 We just saw the picture. 46:47 That's how the story ends, with heaven packed. 46:52 There's so many there, they can't even count them. 46:56 "Or are you envious that I am generous?" 46:58 It turns out He may be a whole lot more generous 47:01 than we are. 47:03 Letting people in that we have said, 47:06 "No, you can't join us there." 47:17 "What part of that throng," Wilkinson asks, 47:21 "is there because of you?" 47:22 Well, we've already thinking of that, haven't we? 47:24 How many people can you and I help God save? 47:30 Wilkinson goes on. Next question. 47:32 What part of God's dream is linked to your destiny?" 47:35 Now we've got some young dreamers here 47:36 working on a career, getting their education. 47:39 I don't know what you're going into, 47:40 it doesn't matter to me, 47:41 matters only to the Father and you, 47:43 but whatever it is, your destiny, 47:45 whatever the dream is that you're pursuing, 47:47 what part of your dream is going to add 47:50 to the number of people in that picture? 47:53 Because you were born for a reason, 47:54 you got saved for a cause. 47:56 It's to harvest the vineyard. 47:59 "Well, Dwight, I'm going into it 48:00 because it's a cushy career. 48:02 I really think I'm going to be able to relax 48:03 rather early in my young life." 48:05 Come on, you can't be serious. 48:10 You got a destiny. 48:12 How does your destiny attach to God's destiny? 48:18 He said, "Dwight, I'm already into my career." 48:20 Man, I tell you what. No, no, no. 48:23 Your career right now, the one you're in. 48:25 What part of your career is enabling you 48:27 to join the Father in the vintage harvest? 48:33 He said, "Oh, Dwight, I've already retired 48:36 so I'm out of that picture." 48:38 Are you out of the picture? You crazy? 48:40 You're the one that has all the time now, right? 48:45 Come on. 48:46 There's not a time in life when you are released 48:49 from the reason you were born. 48:51 You were born for this, you were born to grow 48:54 the number of people in that picture, 48:56 that's why you love Jesus, that's why you serve Him, 48:58 and that's why He says, "I need you." 49:00 He doesn't need you to occupy a pew, 49:01 He needs you to be somewhere 49:04 where you're with lost people 49:05 and you're pointing them to the Savior. 49:12 Wilkinson, "What part of God's dream 49:13 is linked to your destiny? 49:15 Just think what a difference you can make 49:16 in many, many lives 49:18 if you were to pray passionately 49:19 and faithfully 49:20 for enlarged territory from God, 49:22 for God in His vineyard. 49:23 Imagine the miraculous divine partnership 49:25 that will grow out of your plea. 49:27 Oh, God, let me accomplish more for you." 49:30 I want to do more than I'm... 49:32 Please, God, let me accomplish more for you. 49:33 And the final line is a stinger. 49:35 This is the keeper right here. 49:37 "With His infinite ability and your willing availability, 49:42 God can literally do anything." 49:46 Anything on this planet. He can do it through you. 49:50 You don't need a professional evangelist, 49:52 you don't need a professional pastor, 49:53 you don't need nothing, but a heart that's like God's. 49:59 If you have the heart of the Father, 50:01 you will work the harvest of the Father. 50:05 You can't have His heart and not work the harvest. 50:07 The only reason I'm not working the harvest 50:09 is because I don't have His heart. 50:11 That's the only reason. 50:13 If I had His heart, I'd be working the harvest. 50:18 You want the Father's heart? 50:20 Let me end with five steps 50:24 for having the Father's heart. 50:26 We'll end with this. One, two, three, four, five. 50:28 Here they go, they're in your study guide, 50:30 you can take them home and brood over them. 50:31 Number one, kneel at the foot of the cross 50:33 in your mind's eye. 50:35 So wherever you're going to go for this, 50:37 be at the foot of the cross, 50:38 your picture in the cross in front of you. 50:39 Number two, look up into your Savior's face 50:42 and remember the truth. 50:43 "Christ Jesus came into the world 50:44 to save sinners of whom I am the worst." 50:48 Okay? 50:50 Number three, pray for the Holy Spirit. 50:52 Why should I pray for the Holy Spirit? 50:53 I put a quotation on the screen for you. 50:55 You've got it in your study guide. 50:56 This is dynamite. 50:58 "Are you using all your powers..." 50:59 Words written 100 years ago. 51:01 "Are you using all your powers in an effort to bring the lost 51:05 sheep back to the fold? 51:07 There are thousands upon thousands 51:10 in ignorance who might be warned." 51:12 Here it comes. 51:13 "Pray as you have never prayed before 51:15 for the power of Christ." 51:17 And then the clincher is the last sentence. 51:19 Here it is. 51:21 "Pray for the inspiration of His Spirit, 51:23 that you may be filled with a desire 51:26 to save those who are perishing." 51:30 It's called the daily baptism of the Spirit, 51:32 just ask for it every day. 51:34 Pray for the inspiration. 51:35 Number four, ask the spirit to send you to someone today. 51:37 "Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, 51:39 I'm going out there out of this dormitory room, 51:41 I'm going out of my home in the community, 51:43 I need somebody today, send somebody to me 51:47 and impress me when I'm in that moment 51:49 'cause I'm not gonna make a fool of myself." 51:53 Just ask Him. "Point it out to me." 51:55 And finally, number five, go. 51:58 And when you go, stay in the vineyard. 52:00 Stay there. 52:02 You don't come home at night, you never leave the vineyard. 52:04 Not in your mind, not in your heart. 52:05 You're always in the vineyard. 52:07 Stay in the vineyard 52:09 and work with the Father until the harvest is finished. 52:12 That's it. 52:14 If you have the Father's heart, I'm not worried at all. 52:16 Five simple steps how to have the Father's heart 52:19 so that I live with that heart in the vineyard 52:22 that is all swirling around me right now. 52:26 "Pray for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 52:28 that you may be filled with a desire 52:30 to save those who are perishing." 52:31 That's it. 52:33 Because look, if we have the Father's heart, 52:35 we will work the Father's harvest. 52:38 It's a no-brainer. 52:41 So I say, let's ask God for His heart. 52:44 What do you say? 52:47 Pardon me? 52:49 Another week? 52:51 I don't want to get to the end of this in that. 52:53 Let's try it one more time. 52:55 I say let's ask the Father for His heart. 52:58 What do you say? 52:59 Amen. Amen. Amen. 53:01 We're not playing tiddlywinks here. 53:03 We're not tickling each other so we can go home 53:05 and then get back to life as usual. 53:08 We come to meet Christ and in meeting Him, 53:12 ask Him to change us in His likeness. 53:17 Amen. 53:33 Rescue the perishing, care for the dying 53:39 Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave 53:45 Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen 53:51 Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save 53:57 Rescue the perishing, care for the dying 54:04 Jesus is merciful 54:08 Jesus will save 54:13 Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting 54:20 Waiting the penitent child to receive 54:26 Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently 54:32 He will forgive if they only believe 54:39 Rescue the perishing, care for the dying 54:45 Jesus is merciful 54:49 Jesus will save 54:54 Rescue the perishing, duty demands it 55:01 Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide 55:07 Back to the narrow way patiently win them 55:13 Tell the poor wanderer a Savior has died 55:20 Rescue the perishing, care for the dying 55:26 Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save 55:36 Isn't that beautiful? I'm telling you what? 55:38 Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save. 55:41 We can't save out a single solitary person on this planet, 55:44 but Jesus is the great Savior, He's merciful, 55:47 He cares for the dying, 55:49 and you and I can be agents of the harvest with Him, 55:54 moving out into that vintage crop, 55:58 bringing the lost to Jesus. 56:01 I want to sing that chorus. 56:03 Let's sing that chorus one more time. 56:04 Let's stand as we sing that chorus 56:05 one more time. 56:12 Rescue the perishing, care for the dying 56:19 Jesus is merciful 56:23 Jesus will save 56:32 And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ 56:35 and the love of God and the fellowship 56:38 of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 56:41 Amen. Amen. 56:56 Before you go, let me take an extra moment 56:58 to share with you an opportunity 56:59 to get into the Bible in a fresh new way. 57:02 All across the world, more and more people 57:03 are hearing the call to examine scriptures for themselves. 57:07 If you felt drawn to learn more about God's Word, 57:09 but you don't know where to start 57:11 or you're just looking for a more 57:12 in-depth examination of Bible truths, 57:14 then I have something right here 57:16 that I believe you're going to enjoy. 57:18 I want to send a series of guides 57:19 to get you started. 57:21 This one's entitled "Why does God allow suffering?" 57:23 This guide begins with a story 57:25 and the introduction of the subject, 57:26 then through a series of focus questions, 57:28 you'll be learning portions of the Bible 57:30 you may never have known before and when you're through, 57:32 you'll be able to share with others 57:33 some of these inspiring Bible truths. 57:36 So just call our toll free number, 57:37 it's on the screen 877, the two words, HIS WILL. 57:41 Our friendly operators are standing by 57:42 to send these study guides to you. 57:44 Once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL. 57:47 Call that number and then again, 57:50 join me next week right here 57:52 at the same time, New Perceptions. |
Revised 2018-11-12