September 18, Citizenship Day

Lesson: Matthew 21.28-32

Sermon Title: "No" and "Yes"

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INTRODUCTION:

Sarahrella (1)

After watching the movie Cinderella, five-year-old Sarah started using her pinwheel as a magic wand, pretending she was a fairy godmother. "Make three wishes," she told her mother, "and I'll grant them."

Her mom first asked for world peace. Sarah swung her wand and proclaimed the request fulfilled.

Next, her mother requested for a cure for all ill children. Again, with a sweep of the pinwheel, Sarah obliged.

The mother, with a glance down at her rather ample curves, made her third wish, "I wish to have a trim figure again."

The miniature fairy godmother started waving her wand madly.

"I'll need more power for this!" she exclaimed.

  1. What is happening in the temple courts in Jerusalem is a power struggle.

    1. The protagonists are unevenly matched.

      1. The One had enough power

      2. The group is in need of more power

    2. This is because one sees all too clearly the other.

    3. The other does not see at all the first.

  2. We are not to get caught in the middle.

    1. We are not on the side of the other.

    2. We are on the side of the one.

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MAIN BODY:

  1. Jesus tells a parable

    1. For whom is the parable being told.

    2. Is he seeking to bring pressure to bear on the listeners?

In 1965 the state evangelist was conducting evangelistic meetings in the Manchester, Ohio Church, where I was the pastor.

We were visiting those who had come and expressed some interest in becoming members of the church.

One evening we were visiting a couple in their modest home in the country.

The evangelist was laboring with them to make a decision.

They were resistant to make a decision, that they really did not want to make.

After about an hour of observing and listening, I could not maintain my silence.

I suggested that, perhaps we had explored the situation enough for the moment and we could come back to it at another time.

The evangelist was furious with me.

I thought I was going to have to walk the five miles to get my car.

For the few minutes that it took to drive to the church he berated me for my interference.

The pressure that he was exerting was enormous.

I was bothered by it and the impact that it was having on this financially poor and poorly educated couple

    1. Who is listening?

      1. Those who had come to worship

      2. Those who would challenge his authority

    2. Is Jesus speaking only to his protagonists or is he speaking to all the people.

    3. Is he attempting to reach the closed minds of the challengers.

    4. Is he offering insight for the masses into the current spiritual leadership that is proving to be so inadequate?

    5. From the details of the parable we can begin to answer the question, "What do you think?"

  1. The details of the parable are these:

    1. There is a man who has two sons.

    2. He gives instructions to both of them.

      1. Go and work today in the vineyard.

      2. The vineyard instead of the barnyard.

      3. The vineyard instead of the fields.

    3. The first son says no, but then goes and does the work.

    4. The second son says yes, but does not go.

  2. It is obvious that the sons represent two classes of people.

    1. Those who say, "Yes."

      1. There are those who say yes and go immediately and enthusiastically to do the work.

      2. There are some who say yes and go reluctantly, dragging their feet, but still going to do the work.

      3. There are those who say yes and have no intention of working in the vineyard, or anywhere else.

      4. In Jesus story, the son says "yes" but does not go.

    2. There are those who say, "NO!"

      1. There are those who say no and mean no; they never go.

      2. There are those who say no, but wish to be coaxed into saying yes.

      3. There are those who say no and change their minds and go.

      4. The first son is like this, he says no and goes.

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  1. The clincher to Jesus method is to be found in the question he asks. "What do you think about this?"

    1. How do you answer?

    2. What do you believe about the situation?

      1. If you were standing present among the Scribes, Pharisees, or Lawyers, how would you answer?

      2. If you were standing with the crowd listening to this exchange how would you answer?

  2. Before you answer listen to the rest of what Jesus has to say which relates to his parable.

    1. The second question that Jesus poses is this:

      1. Which of the two did the will of his father?"

        1. The one who said yes and did not go?

        2. The one who said no and did go?

    2. They said, "The first."

Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.

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 after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

      1. The Scribes, Pharisees and Lawyers could not be described by the first son.

      2. They were like the second son.

      3. They said yes but did not go!

  1. We are not to be like either son, although we may be likened to one or the other.

    1. There are people who say yes and mean no.

    2. There are those who say no and later change their minds and say yes.

    3. We are to be children who say yes and mean yes and go and work in the vineyard.

  2. We go not looking for compensation or recognition, although both are right and necessary.

    1. Sometimes there is nothing but thanks

Roger Lovette "Living by the Word: Showing Up," Christian Century, September 20, 2005, 20 writes about the practicality of this passage as it applies to our thinking and our actions:

Roger Lovette's "missionary friend was scheduled to speak about his mission work at a distant church. He got up before daybreak that Sunday morning and drove 300 miles, preached at two services and spent the afternoon speaking with members of the congregation. As he was leaving that evening, the treasurer of the church gave him an envelope, which he tucked in his pocket for the ride home. It was very late when he returned home. As he undressed, he remembered the envelope. He turned on the light in the bathroom and opened it. Out fell a check with his name written on it in bold letters. Under his name were the words: A million thanks! It was signed by the treasurer." (2)

      1. Many thanks is important.

      2. A little cash would have helped the situation.

    1. Sometimes there is recognition and response:

In The Tough Business Of Commitment By Rev. Todd W. Allen he relates a story told by James McConkey (3)

"The winter was ending and the ice was breaking up in our nearby river. The fresh lets were piling up in great gorges along the banks. Just a few miles above our home was a little town at which an immense ice gorge had imprisoned eleven men, women and children. The instant this huge ice gorge should break, it would sweep those lives out of existence. McConkey's brother learned of the situation. Putting fifty dollars in his pocket he hurried to the little town. Arriving there he found the people waiting on the banks of the river for the catastrophe, which seemed inevitable. Stepping up to the crowd he offered the fifty dollars to any man who would attempt the rescue of the imperiled people. But not a man stirred. Then he sent a little boy to a nearby store for a line. When he brought it out, my brother tied one end of it around his waist, and offered to join with any man who would rope himself to him in an effort to rescue the lives that were in instant jeopardy of death. Immediately four men leaped to his side. They roped themselves to the same line of peril with himself and these five men, picking their way over the dangerous gorge at the imminent hazard of their own lives, brought in safety to the shore every man, woman and child upon the ice. When McConkey's brother offered money, not a man stirred. But when they saw him give himself and saw the love for those imperiled, it drew them to his side in an instant.

      1. When we faithfully witness to the purpose and the power of the gospel great things may happen.

      2. It may not lead the saving of life.

      3. It may lead to the saving of life!

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CONCLUSION

  1. A once well-known missionary and consecration hymn was adopted by a class of over a hundred missionary nurses at the Battle Creek (Michigan) Sanitarium as their class hymn.

    1. Every Sunday afternoon they would gather for a social meeting and always sing [it]……

    2. In this class were students from nearly every State of the Union, from Australia, South Africa, South America, Bulgaria, Armenia, and nearly all the European countries.

    3. At the close of the course they agreed that after they had parted and gone to their different fields, they would sing this hymn every Sunday as they had done during their happy class-days.

    4. The song was "I'LL GO WHERE YOU WANT ME TO GO." with words by Mary Brown, and music by Carrie E. Rounsefell

It may not be on the mountain's height, or over the stormy sea;
It may not be at the battle's front my Lord will have need of me;
But if by a still, small voice He calls to paths I do not know,
I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Yours,
I'll go where You want me to go.

I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
O'er mountain, or plain, or sea;
I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
I'll be what You want me to be.

Perhaps today there are loving words which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now, in the paths of sin, some wand'rer whom I should seek.
O Savior, if You will be my Guide, though dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet,
I'll say what You want me to say.

I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
O'er mountain, or plain, or sea;
I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
I'll be what You want me to be.

There's surely somewhere a lowly place in earth's harvest fields so wide,
Where I may labor through life's short day for Jesus, the Crucified.
So, trusting my all unto Your care, I know You always love me!
I'll do Your will with a heart sincere,
I'll be what You want me to be.

I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
O'er mountain, or plain, or sea;
I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
I'll be what You want me to be.

  1. It is a wonderful song and one that I hope we may sing with commitment and enthusiasm.

  2. Jesus told a story about a man who had two sons.

Amen!

1. You Make Me Laugh [You_Make_Me_Laugh@crosswalkmail.com]

2. Roger Lovette "Living by the Word: Showing Up," Christian Century, September 20, 2005, 20

3. The Tough Business Of Commitment By Rev. Todd W. Allen, July 31, 2005 Villa Rica

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