THE FORGOTTEN BOOK

          A young boy noticed a large black book all covered with dust lying on a high shelf. His curiosity was aroused, so he asked his mother about it. Embarrassed, she hastily explained, “That is a Bible. It’s God’s Book.” The boy thought for a moment and then said, “Well, if that’s God’s Book, why don’t we give it back to Him? Nobody around here uses it anyway.”

          In many homes, the Bible is hardly used or even thought about. The only time anyone picks it up to read it is when there is trouble, sickness, or a death in the family, and even then, the person may not know where to look for the help that’s needed.[1]

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[1]Richard De Haan, “The Forgotten Book,” in Our Daily Bread (April 1, 2006). 

THIRSTY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT

          We should be like the little girl who asked her mother for a drink of water three times in one night. Finally, the mother said in an exasperated tone, “If you ask for water one more time, I am going to spank you.”

          A while later the girl said, “Mama when you get up to spank me, will you please bring me a drink of water?”

          I believe that one reason we are unwilling to let go of the cheap toys of this world and drink of Jesus’ fullness is that we have never really been that thirsty. Let a man have a burning blistering thirst and he will pay almost any price for water.[1]

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[1]Adrian Rogers, The Power of His Presence, 90. 

FORGIVENESS

          I heard of a little girl who had been put to bed for her afternoon nap. Her mother was in the kitchen, cleaning up the lunch dishes. But noises from the bedroom indicated that the child was jumping up and down on the mattress, not sleeping.

          “Settle down,” the mother told her daughter as she peeked into the room through a slightly opened door. “You need your sleep. And besides, before you know it you’ll break the lamp on the bedside table.” It was a beautiful lamp, a prized possession in the family.

          Minutes later the jumping resumed. Then came the predictable crash. “I’m really sorry,” the little girl sobbed after her spanking as her mother cleaned up the broken glass.

          When the mess had been taken out and dumped in the trash, the mother came back to the room, hugged her girl, and said, “I forgive you. And as far as the lamp is concerned, I will never mention it to you again.”

          The very next day, as the mother was walking through the house, she inadvertently stepped on and crushed the daughter’s favorite doll. The little girl ran over and picked up the broken form, held it close, and said, “Mommy, I forgive you, and I will never mention it to you again.”

          Forgiveness is contagious. God not only cleanses you—He promises not to bring your sins up again . . . ever. When this assurance of sins forgiven becomes yours, you can forgive yourself, and others too and never mention it again.[1]

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[1]Adrian Rogers, The Power of His Presence 112-113. 

THE WINDS OF CHANGE

There is an ancient Eastern parable instructively titled “The Wealth Is Nearer to You Than You Think.” It tells of a wealthy merchant who had undertaken a lengthy journey, carrying with him his most valuable jewels. Along the way, another traveler befriended him, making it look like a chance meeting but with the sole intent of laying his hands on those precious stones. At the end of each day when they arrived at a local Inn, they would share the room for the night. As was customary, each received his mat and pillow and also a wash basin with a towel for his night ablutions.

          The merchant, somewhat suspicious of his newfound friend’s real motives, devised a scheme to safeguard his valuables that were to leave his ill-intentioned companion completely befuddled. Before they turned in for the night, he would graciously offer the would-be thief the privilege of washing up first. As soon as the thief would leave the room, the rich man would take his bag full of precious stones and hastily hide it under the pillow of the thief. When the thief would return, the rich man would make his exit, taking his turn in cleaning up. Waiting this moment of opportunity, with predatorial glee the rogue would plunge into the rich man’s belongings, rummaging through his bag, even ransacking in and under the rich man’s pillow, feverishly searching for the precious stones. His frenzied and fruitless attempts at every stop left him utterly frustrated, and eventually, he would lay his sleepless head on his pillow, angry at his failure to locate the treasure.

          Finally, as it came time to part on their last day together, the rich man began his farewell pleasantries and, to the speechless astonishment of his companion, informed him that all along he had been painfully aware of his real motives. Then came the agony-inflicting revelation,: “You poured all your energies into looking everywhere—except under your own pillow. The wealth was nearer to you than you realized.”[1]

         

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[1]Ravi Zacharias, Deliver Us from Evil, 3-4.

THE DANGER OF LEGALISM

          Maybe you’ve heard of the woman who was married to a very strict, demanding man who had a list of rules for her to follow without deviation. Her life was very frustrating, although her husband was at heart a good man who never asked her to do anything wrong. It is just that he had a rule for everything, and she was always tense because she was always trying to meet his expectations.

          Well, after decades of marriage, this woman became so used to living by her husband’s rules that when he died, she panicked. She didn’t know how to function on her own without her husband, so she had him embalmed and took him back home. Worse yet, she still asked the corpse every day for permission to do anything.

          But this woman finally decided to get away, so she took a vacation to Europe and met a wonderful man. He treated her kindly, showing her great tenderness and love. She discovered she did things for this man not because she had to but because she wanted to. They fell in love, decided to get married, and agreed to come back to the United States and live in her house.

          When the happy newlyweds arrived home, however, the new husband’s jaw dropped when he saw the corpse of the woman’s first husband on the sofa. The woman quickly explained, “I love you, darling, but you must understand I lived with this man for so long I can’t really function without him. I need to keep him nearby.”

          The woman’s new husband let her know in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t about to live with a dead man in the house. She would have to choose between her deceased former husband and her new love. I told you this was an absurdity! But this is what we do spiritually when we try to live by the Law after Christ has forgiven and received us by grace. Let’s bury that corpse and move on, because mixing law and grace will never work (Tony Evans, Free at Last), 63.

EMPOWERING OTHERS

          An English artist named William Wolcott went to New York in 1924 to record his impressions of the fascinating city. One morning he was visiting in the office of a former colleague when the urge to sketch came over him. Seeing some paper on his friend’s desk, he asked, “May I have that?” His friend answered, “That’s not sketch paper. That’s ordinary wrapping paper.”

          Not wanting to lose that spark of inspiration, Wolcott took the wrapping paper and said, “Nothing is ordinary if you know how to use it.” On that ordinary paper, Wolcott made two sketches. Later that same year, one of those same sketches sold for $500 and the other for $1,000, quite a sum for 1924.

          People under the influence of an empowering person are like paper in the hands of a talented artist. No matter what they’re made of, they can become treasures.[1]

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[1]John Maxwell, Leadership 101, 85. 

WHERE IS GOD WHEN IT HURTS?

John Donne, seventeenth-century poet, found himself listening to the  megaphone of pain. An angry father-in-law got him fired from his job and blackballed from a career in law. Donne turned in desperation to the church, taking orders as an Anglican priest. But the year he took his first parish job, his wife Anne died, leaving him seven children. And a few years later, in 1623, spots appeared on Donne’s body. He was diagnosed with the bubonic plague.

          The illness dragged on, sapping his strength almost to the point of death (Donne’s illness turned out to be a form of typhus, not the plague). In the midst of this illness, Donne wrote series of devotions on suffering which rank among the most poignant meditations ever written on the subject. He composed the book in bed, without benefit of notes, convinced he was dying.[1]

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[1]Quoted in Philip Yancey, Where Is God When It Hurts? 72.

TO MY READERS AND FOLLOWERS

I'm excited to invite many of you to study with us at Missional University. My friend Dr. Curt Watke has established this Global University (Online) with a team of faculty from many parts of the world. The school begins in the fall of 2018. Dr. Watke has asked me to design two curriculums and syllabi and teach two courses in Foundations of Missional Evangelism and Spiritual Warfare and Missional Evangelism. Those of you who have copies of my book, Seeking Freedom for Those in Bondage: Evangelism & Spiritual Warfare in Today's World should take care of them. The book will be used as one of the textbooks for the course in Spiritual Warfare. First, visit the website (www.http://Missional.University) and explore the courses that will be provided. The levels of courses begin from Certificate, Diploma, to the Master's Degree. Highly qualified faculty from a broad spectrum of academic disciplines and background has been chosen to teach courses in this unique online University. Let me know if I can be of assistance to you in any way.
Thanks for your time.

THE GOD WHO IS ALWAYS AWAKE

THE GOD WHO IS ALWAYS AWAKE (PSALM 4:8)

A mother and her 4-year-old daughter were preparing for bed. The child was afraid of the dark. When the lights were turned off, the girl noticed the moon shining through the window. “Mommy,” she asked, “Is that God’s light up there?” Yes, it is,” came the reply. Soon another question: “Will He put it out and go to sleep too?” Oh no, He never goes to sleep.” After a few silent moments, the little girl said, “As long as God is awake, I am not scared.” Realizing that the Lord would be watching over her, the reassured child soon fell into a peaceful sleep.

As Christians, we may confidently commit both the night and the day to our ever-faithful God. He is fully aware of our fears in the dark as well as our frustrations in the light. We can be assured of His constant care. His loving eye and protecting hand are always upon us. If you have trouble getting to sleep, try resting in the Lord (Paul Van Goder, Always Awake, Our Daily Bread, April 5, 2006).

A LOAN TO THE LORD

“He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given” (Proverbs 19:17).

          A father gave his little boy 50 cents and told him he could use it any way he wanted. Later when Dad asked about it, the boy told him that he had lent it to someone.

          “Who did you lend it to?” he asked. The boy answered, “I gave it to a poor man on the street because he looked hungry.”

          “Oh, that was foolish. You’ll never get it back,” replied the father. “But Daddy, the Bible says that people who give to the poor lend to the Lord.”

          The father was so pleased with the son’s reply that he gave him another 50 cents. “See,” said the son. “I told you I would get it back—only I didn’t think it would be so soon!”

          You may give without loving but you can’t love without giving. Henry Bosch, A Loan to the Lord, quoted in Our Daily Bread (April, 2, 2006).

HELP OR TAKE DOWN THE SIGN

          The story is told of a young couple who got married and set out on their honeymoon. They were driving on a dark road that night when the car swerved off the road and crashed in a ditch. The groom awoke from the accident to find his beloved bride bleeding and unconscious. In desperation, he gathered her into his arms and began looking around frantically for help.

          Suddenly, the young man looked up and saw a light shining from the porch of a house on the hill. Knowing that his bride wouldn’t live long in her condition, he carried her up the hill to the house. As he came close to the house he got very excited, because there was a sign hanging on the porch that said, “John Smith, M.D.”

          The young groom rushed to the door and began knocking excitedly. An elderly gentleman came to the door, looked out into the darkness, and asked, “May I help you?”

          “Sir,” the groom cried out, “my bride has been hurt in an accident and is dying! Please save her!”

          But the old man drew back and said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. I stopped practicing medicine twenty years ago.”

          The desperate groom looked at the old man in stunned anger and said, “Mister, your sign says you are a doctor. Either help my bride right now or take down that sign!”

          The church either needs to impact its community for Christ, or take down our sign that advertises that a real church meets here. Being salt and light means that we have something life-changing to offer people in a decaying and dark world. (Anthony Evans, God’s Glorious Church), 167.

          When a church loses its kingdom perspective and its earthly mission, it becomes irrelevant and powerless to transform lives. It ceases to be a true representative of Jesus Christ.

MAKING PATIENT AND WISE DECISIONS

Wendy is an enthusiastic woman with a quick wit. She tends to be impulsive, but she realizes that about herself. She needed a new car and mapped out her strategy for buying it. She was determined to get the best deal she could, and she wanted to be practical and logical in this big purchase, buying something she could afford. Under no circumstances would she be pressured by a salesman or swayed by a promotion.

Then she saw “the car.” It was the one catching everyone’s attention as it moved down the street. Suddenly, Wendy had to have that car! But it was in high demand, and they weren’t coming down on the price. She knew she should walk away, but she envisioned how she would look driving that car. She thought she deserved the car and that she could really be happy if she had the car. Because she had such intense feelings about it, she felt it was meant to be hers.

So Wendy got the car. She also paid full price for it. About six months later, when her finances got a little tight, Wendy began noticing more ads for her dream car—for thousands less than she had paid. And its popularity was beginning to fade. Regret set in. Wendy knew she had overpaid, and now she was overburdened with debt. A little patience could have saved her a lot of pain.

Impatience poisons all of our lives. The New Testament’s root Greek word translated patience is also translated as “endurance, perseverance, staying behind, patient waiting, and steadfastness.” Our impatience fights all these qualities. Worst of all we become impatient with ourselves. Delay gratification is not in our vocabulary. Howard E. Butt Jr., Who Can You Trust?), 172-173.

However, delayed gratification would save us from debt, regret, hardships and reward us with a peace of mind and contentment.

DRAWING ATTENTION TO SELF INSTEAD OF GOD

          I know a frog, which needed those verses (1 Chron. 29:12; Psalm 44:3). He had a real problem. His home pond was drying up. If he didn’t find water soon, he would do the same. Word reached him of a vibrant stream over the adjacent hill. If only he could live there. But how could he? The short legs of a frog were not made for long journeys.

          But then he had an idea. Convincing two birds to carry either end of a stick, he bit the center and held on as they flew. As they winged toward the new water, his jaws clamped tightly. It was quite a sight! Two birds, one stick, and a frog in the middle. Down below, a cow in a pasture saw them passing overhead. Impressed, he wondered aloud, “Now who came up with that idea?” The frog overhead his question and couldn’t resist a reply, “I diiiiiiiii . . .”

          Don’t make the same mistake, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (Prov. 16:18 NLT). Why are you good at what you do? For your comfort? For your retirement? For your self-esteem? No. Deem these bonuses, not as the reason. Why are you good at what you do? For God’s sake. Your success is not about what you do. It’s all about Him—the present and future glory. (Max Lucado, It Is Not about Me), 136.

THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS

The second great power of forgiveness is that it can loosen the stranglehold of guilt in the perpetrator.

Guilt does its corrosive work even when consciously repressed. In 1993 a Ku Klux Klansman named Henry Alexander made a confession to his wife. In 1957 he and several other Klansmen had pulled a black truck driver from his cab, marched him to a deserted bridge high above a swift river, and made him jump, screaming to his death. Alexander was charged with the crime in 1976—it took nearly twenty years to bring him to trial—pleaded innocent and was acquitted by a white jury. For thirty-six years he insisted on his innocence, until the day in 1993 when he confessed the truth to his wife. “I don’t even know what God has planned for me. I don’t even know how to pray for myself,” he told her. A few days later, he died.

Alexander’s wife wrote a letter of apology to the black man’s widow, a letter subsequently printed in The New York Times. “Henry lived a lie all his life, and he made me live it too,” she wrote. For all those years, she had believed her husband’s protestation of innocence. He showed no outward sign of remorse until the last days of his life, too late to attempt public restitution. Yet he could not carry the terrible secret of guilt to his grave. After thirty-six years of fierce denial, he still needed the release only forgiveness could provide. (Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing about Grace?), 100.

TRIALS AND PATIENCE

          A student asked a college president, “Can I take a shorter course of studies than the one prescribed?” “Oh yes,” replied the president but it all depends on what you want to be.

          When God wants to make a giant oak, He takes many years. “But when He wants to make a squash, He takes a few months.” Who wants to be a squash?

          When our patience is being stretched, we are being given opportunity to expand. A lot of expansion is needed in order to become like Christ.

          The paradox of the Christian life is that in surrender we find victory, in our yielding we are made strong in rendering up our sword to Him we become conquerors (Portraits of Perseverance).

LIFE ALONE WITH GOD

          Bonhoeffer cautions that if one feels he cannot be alone, beware of community. Man can only do harm to himself and to the community if he ignores the place of solitude before God.

          Alone you stood before God when He called you; alone you had to answer that call; alone you had to struggle and pray; and alone you will die and give account to God. You cannot escape from yourself; for God has singled you out. To refuse solitude is to reject the conditions of life and the circumstance under which we were called.

          God did not call Moses when he was with the crowd in Pharaoh’s palace. God called Moses when he was alone at the backside of the desert with the sheep of Jethro.

          God did not choose David when he was with his father and brothers. God called for him when he was alone with his father’s sheep. The Lord spoke to his servant Samuel to anoint David before his father and his siblings. Listen to the voice of God when you are in solitude with Him.

RESPONDING TO ADVERSITY

          Suffering is unavoidable. It comes without warning. Sometimes it takes us by surprise. It can shatter or strengthen us. It can be the source of great bitterness or abounding joy. It can be the means by which our faith is destroyed. Or it can be the tool through which our faith is deepened. The outcome hinges not on the nature or source of our adversity, but on the character and spirit of our response. Our response to adversity will for the most part be determined by our reason for living, our purpose for being on this earth, as we see it.

          If you are a child of God whose heart’s desire is to see God glorified through you, adversity would not put you down for the count. There will be those initial moments of shock and confusion. But the man or woman who has God’s perspective on this life and the life to come will always emerge. Job is a typical Old Testament example of saint who was inundated by adversity but with God’s help he prevailed.

THE OWNER AND THE UNDESERVING TENANTS

MATTHEW 21:33-46

INTRODUCTION

          Have you ever helped someone in need get on his feet only to realize that the same person you helped has turned against you? How do you feel when you are kind, generous, and helpful to a person and the same person becomes your number one enemy? When that happens some of us conclude that we are no longer going to help anybody again. We want to avoid ungratefulness, abuse, and mistreatment. However, is it not the same way we sometimes treat God? The nation of Israel is a case in point. God took them from bondage and transplanted them in the Promised Land, but eventually they turned against Him. For our time together I would like to share with you on the topic: “The Owner and the Undeserving Tenants” as we continue the series on the parables of Jesus.

THE SETTING

          The words that introduce this section, “Listen to another parable” (Matt. 21:33), shows that Jesus was continuing the teaching contained in the parable of the two sons concerning the Pharisees and their relationship to His kingdom Matt 21:28-32).

I.      THE PRIVILEGES GIVEN TO THE TENANTS VV. 33-36

          The background of this parable is found in Isaiah 5 where the prophet describes a vineyard that has been planted “on a fertile hillside” (v. 1) and that gives every prospect of producing a bountiful harvest. The person who has planted the vineyard has carefully prepared the soil to receive the vine. He has “dug it up and cleared it of stones” (v. 2) to remove every obstacle to the growth of the vine. A watchtower for protection has been built, and the winepress has been provided in anticipation of the harvest. But when harvest time arrived, the vine yielded only “bad (literally rotten or stinking) fruit” (v. 2). This is obviously a parable, and the prophet now proceeds with the explanation. God is the one who planted the vineyard, and the nation of Israel was His choice vine (v. 3). He has brought them out of the desert and into a land flowing with milk and honey. He has protected them in the land, and He has anticipated that He would receive good fruit from them. The kind of fruit God saw is explained in verse 7: “He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress [or rebellion].” Thus the nation of Israel has not walked righteously before God.

          A landowner has a plot of land and decides to plant grapevines on it. After he has planted the tender shoots of the grapevine, he protects them from wild animals such as foxes and boars (Song of Songs. 2:15; Psalm 80:13) by putting a wall around the vineyard. He also equips the vineyard with winepress and a watchtower. In the ancient times, the watchtower was used during the harvest as a lookout against thieves, and also served as a dwelling place for the tenant.

          The whole project is a financial venture for the landowner. He plants new vines on untried soil. He rents the vineyard to farmers, but would have to wait four years before the vines began to bear grapes. During this time the owner would support the farmers, buy manure and supplies for the vineyard, and hope that in the fifth year he may have a profit. A new vineyard is therefore, a venture not for immediate financial returns but rather for lasting results benefiting successive generations.

          The landowner travels on a journey for an extended period of time. In his absence the tenants cultivate the vineyard, prune the branches, and raise vegetable crops between the vines during the first few years. The tenants work as sharecroppers and are thereby entitled to a portion of the produce. The rest of the income goes to the owner. The tenants have made a contract with the owner to cultivate the vineyard. For the first four years the owner will support them. After those years are past, the vineyard becomes a lucrative source of income for the owner.

          When the harvest time approaches in the fifth year, the landowner sends his servants to collect the income of the vineyard. Contacts between the owner and the tenants may have become minimal during the first four years. This lack of contact may have resulted in alienation and even in hostile attitudes on the part of the tenants, as depicted in the parable. The exact reason for the bitter animosity is not stated—only the fact of its evidence. The tenants seize, beat, and send back the servant to his master. He returns with the physical evidence of a bruised body. The servant conveys to the owner that the tenants have no intention of paying the income of the grape harvest. They want to keep the total amount for themselves, perhaps in compensation for the years of toil and care given to the vineyard before it yielded a harvest. By sending the servant away beaten and empty-handed, the tenants claim possession of the total crop.

          The landowner, who is a person of patience and tolerance, sends another servant to the tenants with the same request. Undoubtedly, the servant refers to the contract signed between the tenants and the landowner, which clearly spells out the terms. However, they receive him in the same manner as the first servant. They strike him on the head, treat him shamefully, and kill him. This time the tenants have become more evil and violent. However, the owner demonstrates commendable forbearance. He does not meet force with force, nor does he declare the contract null and void, as the tenants have done.

          After time has elapsed, perhaps the next harvest time, the owner sends other servants to the tenants. This time the servants are more than the previous groups. Again the tenants refuse to yield to the owner’s request, and resort to violence by killing the servants. The tenants might have reasoned that since they were the ones who have made the vineyard productive, they were the ones who were entitled to the produce and even to the vineyard itself.

          It suddenly dawns on the owner that the tenants are posing as the rightful possessors of his property.

II.   THE PROBLEMS THE TENANTS ENCOUNTER VV. 37-41

          As a last resort the landowner sends his son, telling himself that the tenants will recognize his authority when his son confronts them. “They will respect my son,” he said. Servants were not accorded the same respect a son received in those days. This son is the only heir to the vineyard. Nevertheless, the tenants are in no mood to surrender the vineyard. When they see the son approaching, they may have thought that the owner has died and the son has taken his place. Therefore, they hatch a conspiracy to get rid of the son so that they would become the full possessors of the vineyard. Therefore, they decide to kill the son and take the inheritance. They carry out their plan and kill the son and throw him outside the vineyard. When Jesus speaks of the son of the vineyard owner being killed by the tenants, He is speaking prophetically about His own impending death. Jesus knew that He was born to die to save you and me from our sins.

          When Jesus has finished painting this vivid picture of the wickedness of the tenants, He then poses the question to the religious leaders, “Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” Jesus words are directed against the religious leaders. In the Old Testament, the Jewish religious and political leaders became wayward, selfish, unscrupulous, and turned against the prophets because of the way the ministry of God-ordained prophets disturbed their conscience and robbed them of the respect of the people. Tradition says that the prophet Isaiah was sawn asunder; Jeremiah was confined to a pit and finally stoned; the prophet Amos was murdered with a club; John the Baptist was beheaded at the instruction of King Herod Antipas; and Stephen was stoned to death by a religious mob. James the brother of John was killed by Herod Agrippa I with a sword (see 1 Kings 18:13; 22:24; 2 Kings 6:31; Jer. 20:1-2; Matt. 23:29-37; Acts 7:5; 12: 2; Heb. 11:36-38). The treatment of the servants proves that the most highly privileged are those who perpetrate the worst crimes against the servants of God. “It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.” Those who want to maintain the religious status quo continue to contribute to the persecution and the killing of the servants of God.

          In our present text, the religious leaders rejected the message of John the Baptist, and they questioned the authority of Jesus to the point of openly defying Him. In effect, they rejected God’s own Son.

          Their answer to Jesus’ question is that a swift retribution would be meted out to the murderous tenants. The owner would have them killed and rent the vineyard to other tenants.

III.           THE PUNGENT INDICTMENT AGAINST

               THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS VV. 42-46

          Having implicated themselves by their answer, Jesus draws their attention to what the Psalmist says in Psalm 118:22-23. Jesus’ statement in verse 42 is a rebuke to the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, because they are the interpreters of Scripture and yet they do not understand the essence of His parable. Psalm 118 refers to a situation in the life of the nation of Israel where enemies have them cornered. From the human point of view triumph seems impossible, but through divine intervention God delivers them and the enemies are defeated. In the life of David, many people rejected him, (including Samuel the prophet who was to anoint him, and also his own family, including his father) but God chose him to be the King of Israel. In His earthly ministry, many people rejected Jesus as the Messiah, including some members of His own family. When the religious leaders conspire against Him and deliver Him to be crucified, it appears that the people have rejected and defeated Jesus. Nevertheless, God the Father would raise Him from the dead and seat Him at His own right hand. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). Jesus would be vindicated and it is marvelous in our eyes.

          Do you grasp the meaning of Jesus’ parable? The landowner symbolizes God, the vineyard is the nation of Israel, the tenants of the vineyard represent the teachers of the Law and other religious leaders, the servants represent the prophets, and the son is the personification of Jesus, the Son of God. Therefore, Jesus is speaking of His imminent death and impending exaltation (Phil. 2:5-11).

          In verse 45, the chief priests and the Pharisees finally grasp the meaning of Jesus’ parable. In my sanctified imagination, I can see them fuming with rage, but for the sake of the multitude they cannot touch Jesus, because the multitude consider Jesus to be a prophet. I also believe that they cannot touch Jesus because His hour has not come.

          What is the point in Jesus’ parable? Jesus teaches that seemingly endless patience of God is extended toward those who oppose Him. However, when this patience ends at the rejection of His Son, God’s swift judgment is sure to follow (2 Pet. 3:9). Even today some of you continue to reject Jesus as the Son of God. You say if I reject Jesus as the Son of God, why would I come to church? The religious leaders made the temple of God their second home and yet they were the ones who opposed Jesus. The way you live your life determines whether you love Jesus or oppose Him. What you say and do for Jesus speaks volumes about whether or not you love Him. Jesus is both cornerstone and capstone. Jesus’ role gives shape to all of history. His presence defines the church. Although those who should have known better rejected Jesus, His heavenly Father has placed Him in honored position. Make Jesus the cornerstone of your life so that your life will not fall apart. When you build your life on Christ the storms will come but they cannot overwhelm you.

          In verses 43-44, Jesus utters a prophetic message. Now the Gentiles are the recipients of the gospel of Jesus Christ because He came to His own and His own did not receive Him. Due to their animosity, pride, and power drunkenness, the religious leaders rejected the Messiah and sealed that rejection with their own doom. When the religious leaders rejected Jesus and masterminded His crucifixion, they were bringing judgment on themselves. In A.D. 70, Titus and his army marched from Rome to Jerusalem and killed all the religious leaders and others who had rebelled against the Roman Emperor. They set the city of Jerusalem on fire and burned the temple down. Since then, the temple has never been restored. Therefore, if you reject Jesus Christ, who is the cornerstone, the very stone you have rejected will eventually break you. Some people say, well, I do not openly reject or oppose Jesus Christ, but the truth of the matter is that anything less than genuine discipleship will lead to judgment. In other words, the stone will fall on and crush you to pieces.

          Ladies and gentlemen, today is the day of grace, the day of salvation. Jesus offers mercy and forgiveness now and you have to make Him your Lord and Savior now, because His judgment is on its way. When the Day of Judgment arrives it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. Those of you who are just being religious you have to receive Christ and become a genuine disciple before it is too late. Jesus is saying that the religious leaders who are a privileged people who should have welcome the coming of God’s kingdom will be denied its privileges, and the people who were unlikely to succeed spiritually will find it. When Jesus was telling this parable to the people, He had you and me in mind. He was talking about the inclusion of Gentiles in the Kingdom of God. He was talking about the role of the Gentiles in the church.

          If you are spiritually satisfied, religiously proud, and think you know the Bible better than anyone else you should take note. Jesus Christ is the center, and no amount of smartness or position in your local church will amount to anything, if such a position pushes away Christ from the center of your faith and life. Beware of some stunning reversals ahead.

          When the religious leaders heard of Jesus’ parables, they concluded that He was speaking about them. Instead for them to think about what He was telling them, they were enraged and wanted to arrest Him. Nevertheless, they were afraid of the crowds because they regarded Jesus as a prophet. Today, some of you react just like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. When a pastor or an evangelist tells you the truth about yourself, instead of examining your life and changing your ways you become angry and some of you even change churches. You begin to attend a church where the pastor does not talk about sin and repentance. He/she tells you tantalizing messages that says you are okay, I am okay and we are all okay. Meanwhile, you are on your way to hell but you do not know. You have become just like the religious leaders in this parable of Jesus. Am I speaking to somebody today? Does the Lord have a message for you to change your direction in life today? The Christian life is not about how you carry yourself externally. The Christian life is all about internal transformation that is produced by the person of the Holy Spirit that enable you to live graciously, peacefully, and victoriously for Jesus Christ. The Christian life is not about reformation; it is about regeneration and renewal of the mind. The Christian life is not about pretending or putting on façade; it is about repentance towards Jesus Christ.

          Are you using self-effort to get to heaven? Jesus came to seek and to save those that are lost. Are you personally related to Jesus Christ and other believers in your community? Can it be that you are opposing Jesus Christ by the way you relate to some people in the church? As Christians, we must love sinners for Christ’s sake. The fallen, the homeless, the outcasts, the frivolous, the captious, the indifferent, and even the malicious must share our love. We must love them to Jesus Christ. Let the church become a hospital where those who are sick spiritually are all welcome. Jesus said, "I did not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners." If you are righteous in your own eyes, you do not need Jesus Christ; you do not need the church.

FOUNDATION FOR SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

NEHEMIAH 1:1-11

INTRODUCTION

          François Fénelon, a seventeenth century Roman Catholic Frenchman said this about prayer:

          Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell Him your troubles, that He may comfort you; tell Him your joys, that He may sober them; tell Him your longings, that He may purify them; tell Him your dislikes, that He may help you to conquer them; talk to Him of your temptations, that He may shield you from them; show Him the wounds of your heart, that He may heal them; lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved taste for evil, your instability. Tell Him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride disguises you to yourself and others.

          If you thus pour all your weaknesses, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject. It is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subject of conversation. They do not weigh their words, for there is nothing to be held back; neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of the heart, without consideration they say just what they think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intercourse with God.

I.                  THE PLIGHT OF THE NATION VV. 1-3

          In our terms the date of this conversation, which set in motion the great events in the leadership of Nehemiah, was between mid November and mid-December, 446BC. Nehemiah approached the king as recorded in chapter 2 in the following March/April, 445. Both are reckoned here to fall within the twentieth year of the rule of king Artaxerxes, who reigned from 464 to 423BC.

          Like most people in leadership position, Nehemiah continually faced impossible circumstances. You will remember that he was eight hundred miles from the concern of his heart: his people who lived in the midst of the destruction in Jerusalem. To live fifteen or twenty miles from where you work is one thing, but Nehemiah was faced with a sixteen-hundred-mile round trip!

          To complicate matters, Nehemiah answered to an unbeliever—King Artaxerxes. Before Nehemiah could leave his post to go to Jerusalem to build the walls that lay in ruin, something had to be done in the heart of Artaxerxes. Nehemiah should be able to persuade him. The King’s heart must be changed but who and what could change his heart? When Nehemiah received the distressing news about the broken walls of Jerusalem and the vulnerability of his people, he did not rush into the king’s oval office and give him the mandate, “Three years’ leave of absence or I quit!” Instead, he went before God in prayer and trusted Him to open the doors and change the heart of his boss.

          Nehemiah describes himself simply as the son of Hacaliah, a man whose name does not appear elsewhere in the pages of Scriptures. Nehemiah gave his occupation in verse 11 of the opening chapter: “I was the cupbearer to the king.” That is all that we know about Nehemiah’s earthly credentials. He was the cupbearer to the king, and he was the son of Hacaliah. The position of a cupbearer was an important one in those days. A king was discrete, used wisdom and discernment in appointing a cupbearer. The cupbearer was the food and wine taster. He had to taste the food and the wine before the king ate or drank. He was the screen between the public and the king. It was a position of intimacy and trust.

          Nehemiah lived in Susa, the capital city of the Medo-Persian Empire—the Washington, D.C., of the day. The Jews recognized Susa as the capital city of the then known world. It was a center of activity, the place of ultimate decision-making; often late-breaking news of the empire came to King Artaxerxes’s attention through the mouth of the cupbearer. Nehemiah was the king’s right hand man.

          In verse 2, Hanani, one of Nehemiah’s brothers and some men from Judah came. Note the rest of the verse: “and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.” It has been said that a true Jew never completely forgets Jerusalem. This was certainly true of Nehemiah. He wanted to know about the people; he wanted to know the condition of the beloved city. Nehemiah puts many of us to shame. How many of us are concerned about our respective countries in Africa? How many of us care for our people back home? Some of you do not remit your poor parents and siblings back home. Some of you are living the American dream while your people back home are living in misery and poverty. Some of you do not even call home once a while to find out how your parents are doing. Nehemiah was living in a city of prosperity. Nevertheless, he did not forget his heritage. He did not forget where he came from. Some of you in time of affluence and opportunity soon forget the backdrop from which the Lord has brought you.

          The people returning from Judah told Nehemiah: “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” The Hebrew word translated great distress means “misery and calamity.” This was bad news and shattering blow to Nehemiah. It was a shattering blow because the remnant that was trying to put the piece back together was open to hostile neighboring attacks and foreign invasion. The city wall and its gates were destroyed; therefore, there was no protection for residents of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not only disarmed; it was also on its own. The men added, they were under reproach. The Hebrew word means, “sharp, cutting, penetrating, or piercing.” The idea is one of withstanding the worst of cutting words. The Jews were being criticized and slandered by people who were enemies of the faith. When Nehemiah heard the news, he was brokenhearted.

II.   THE PRAYER OF NEHEMIAH VV. 4-11

          Verses 4 through 11 contain the reaction of Nehemiah, and it is here that we begin to see his gift of leadership unfold. By nature, Nehemiah had a bent for swift and decisive action. Therefore, his behavior here is quite remarkable because he did not rush to action. Another remarkable thing about Nehemiah is that he was in a high-ranking position in the world, and yet he had a heart that was tender toward God. It is always a tough and rare combination to find a person who holds a high position in the sight of the world, who has a heart for God. Perhaps some of you are in a position of great importance. It is a vulnerable place to live. Each promotion further endangers your spiritual life; your position threatens your walk with God. It does not have to cripple your walk, but it can be, and often it is damaging. All through Scripture there are accounts of people who were promoted from one level to the next and suffered from “promotion erosion”—they slowly became lost in pride. Some of you earn substantial income in the corporate world and because of that pride can set in, and by the time you come back to yourself the bottom has fallen out.

          Touched by the need of his people, Nehemiah “sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (v. 4). Four important things we need to learn from Nehemiah’s experience that should mark the life of a competent spiritual leader.

1.     A Leader Has a Clear Recognition of the Needs.

          The beginning of verse 4 reads: “When I heard these words.” Nehemiah was not preoccupied; he did not live in a dream world, opposed to reality. He asked, “What is the condition?” They replied, “It is a miserable situation.” He heard what they said. He recognized there was a great need to be met back home in Israel. Are you concerned about the pressing needs of your people, your country? We are to have a clear recognition of the needs but we must also be cautious. A person can be so problem-oriented that problems are all he/she can think about—and that is not good either. You have to maintain a balance. Are you aware of needs? How about needs in your own family?

2.     A Leader Is Personally Concerned with the Need.

          Nehemiah moved a step beyond recognition of the problem. He not only heard these matters, but he also sat down and identified with them.

          Alan Redpath once wrote:

        Let us learn this lesson from Nehemiah: you never lighten the load unless first you have felt the pressure in your own soul. You are never used of God to bring blessing until God has opened your eyes and made you see things as they are.

          There is no better preparation for Christian service than that. Nehemiah was called to build the wall, but first he wept over the ruins. Men are desensitized from shedding tears today. People say, “Men do not cry.” Jesus was man’s man and yet He wept at the tomb of Lazarus; He wept over the city of Jerusalem. The apostle Paul shed tears when he ministered to the Ephesians (Acts 20:19). In his weeping, Nehemiah was saying, “The walls are down. Oh, God! How can these walls be down and these people continue in safety?” Nehemiah identified himself with the plight of his people. You all know the story of Eli who refused to recognize a specific family need. The story is recorded in 1 Samuel 3. God could not speak to Eli about the way his children were behaving, so he spoke to the boy Samuel and this is what God said: And the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end” (1 Sam. 3:11-12). Why was God going to do this. Find God’s answer in verse 13.

          Fathers, God has appointed us to one of the most difficult leadership positions in the entire world: to lead our home. We are to motivate, set pace, give guidance and encouragement, and handle discipline. Eli knew all these but he would not rebuke his sons when they disobeyed God. Maybe he thought that the leaders in the temple would straighten out the kids. It is tragic how many people leave the job of child rearing to the church, and therefore the church lives under the constant indictment, “The worst kids in the world are church kids.” The church gets the blame. However, it is not a church problem; it is a home problem. The church can seldom resurrect what the home has put to death.

          See that in Nehemiah 1:4, Nehemiah was “fasting and praying.” What does it mean to fast? It means to miss a meal for one purpose: focusing on your walk with God. Some people fast one day a week. Some people fast a day a month. Some never fast. Fasting is mentioned frequently in Scripture. When your motive is right fasting can reap spiritual dividends that nothing else can. Give a suggestion on fasting and public appearance. Nehemiah was a man of prayer. The primary foundation for spiritual leadership is prayer.

3.     A Serious Leader Goes First to God with the Problem.

          In verse 5, Nehemiah prayed. What is your first response when a need comes to your attention? Nehemiah took his need to God in prayer. Whatever problem you are going through would not be solved until you take it to God in prayer. Nehemiah began his prayer with praise as Jesus has taught us in the Model prayer (v. 5). Nehemiah’s prayer immediately mounts to heaven, where the perspective will be right, and it reflects on the character of God—first of all for His majesty which puts man, whether friend or foe, in his place. Nehemiah knew that he was not coming to just another man, but rather to the God of heaven. Nehemiah worked for the king. Was the king great and mighty on earth? He was mightiest then! But compared to God, King Artaxerxes was nothing. Therefore, it stands to reason that when you go to God in prayer put things into proper perspective. Whatever problem or burden you are bearing, take them to the throne of God. Time does not permit me to deal exhaustively with this passage. Therefore, I will highlight the gist of Nehemiah’s prayer. Nehemiah begins with praise and continues with confession, he claims God’s promise, and he concludes with his petition before God.

4.     A Leader Is Available to Meet the Need Himself.

          “Make me successful. Grant me compassion in his eyes.” Nehemiah recognized the need clearly. He got involved in it. He took it to God. Now he was available to meet the need, if that was what God desired. Prayer that gets the job done include the conviction, “I am available, Lord—ready and willing.”

          Benefits of Prayer

          Prayer makes me wait. I cannot pray and work at the same time. I have to wait to act until I finish praying. Prayer forces me to leave the situation with God; it makes me wait.

          Prayer clears my vision. When you first face a situation, is it foggy? Prayer will cut through the fog. Your vision will clear so you can see through God’s eyes.

          Prayer quiets the heart. I cannot worry and pray at the same time. I am doing one or the other. Prayer makes me quiet. It replaces anxiety with a quiet spirit. Kneels do not knock when we kneel with them.

          Prayer activates faith. After praying, I am more prone to trust God.

         

THE WISE AND WATCHFUL STEWARD

MATTHEW 24:45-51

          Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (NASB).

INTRODUCTION

          When Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency, by the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Sam Rayburn took him aside.

          “From here on out, you are going to have lots of people around you. They will try to put up a wall around you and cut you off from any ideas but theirs.

          They will tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know you ain’t.”

          I would like us to explore the subject: “The Wise and Watchful Steward.”

I.                  THE FAITHFUL STEWARD VV. 45-47

          A master of a number of servants has to leave his household for an undetermined length of time. In the ancient times it was a common practice for masters to put one servant in charge of all the household business.  The master makes the necessary plans for his departure and calls in one of his servants, who in the master’s opinion, is able to manage the day-to-day duties of the household. It is the servant’s duty to be in charge of his fellow servants, to give them their food at the proper time, and to prove his faithfulness and prudence in his master’s absence. If the master finds everything in order upon his return, he intends to promote the servant to be the manager of his possessions.

          The servant demonstrates two indispensable characteristics: faithfulness and prudence. He is dependable because his yes is yes and his no is no. His fellow servants know that he does not break his word. They can trust him. He is also shrewd, for he has a canny way of anticipating problems, of being fully prepared to meet them skillfully and to solve them effectively. With apparent ease he seems to be in full control of every situation. This servant has the skill in dealing with fellow servants that encourages the timid and reproves the lazy ones.

          When the master returns from his journey, he makes an inspection tour and finds everything in good order. He is pleased with the glowing reports he hears about the servant. As a reward for his faithfulness, the master promotes the servant to the position of manager over all his possessions. He knows now that the servant has stood the test of efficiently managing his household. He awards him by placing him second in command.

          This parable reminds me of Joseph in the house of Portiphar, and later became the second in command in all of Egypt. The Bible says that God blessed the house of Portiphar because of Joseph. The same blessings of God continued to follow Joseph even when he was thrown in jail, because he was faithful to God. If you are faithful to God, wherever you go the blessings of God will follow you. God will also bless the people around you. The servant was faithful to his master’s work and His master took notice of it and blessed him.

          As Christians, we should also be about the Lord’s work, honoring Him in every area of life. Some of you are reluctant when it comes to giving of yourself and your money to the Lord’s work. You do it grudgingly as if you are doing it for the pastor. However, everything that you do either in the church, or at your place of work, you are doing it for Christ. As a Christian, you are ultimately responsible to Jesus Christ for what you do or refuse to do. Dr. Billy Graham says it better, “If God has given you more than your neighbors, dedicate it to Christ, and realize that you are only a steward of that which God has given you—some day you will have to give an account for every penny you spent.” In the economy of God, leaders must serve more than rule. Such people who serve will be “blessed.” In other words, the Lord Himself will bless them at His return. When you serve the Lord well with the spiritual gifts, investments, and the sphere of influence the Lord has given you, He will expand your territory. He will enlarge your circle of influence. All that the Lord requires of you is your faithfulness to what He has committed to your care. In the economy of God success is equal to faithfulness. God sees success more different than the way the world does.

          A Persian legend tells us that a certain king needed a faithful servant and had to choose between two candidates for the office. He took both at fixed wages and told them to fill a basket with water from a nearby well, saying that he would come in the evening to inspect their work. After dumping one or two buckets of water into the basket, one of the men said, “What is the good of doing this useless work? As soon as we pour the water in, it runs out the sides.”

          The other answered, “But we have our wages, haven’t we? The use is the master’s business, not ours.” “I am not going to do such fool’s work,” replied the complainer. Throwing down his bucket, he went away.

          The other man continued until he had drained the well. Looking down into it, he saw something shining at the bottom that proved to be a diamond ring. “Now I see the use of pouring water into the basket!” he exclaimed. “If the bucket had brought up before the well was dry, it would have been found in the basket. Our work was not useless.”

          When God’s blessing does not fully coincide with your expectations, remember to wait until the well is dry. There may be something precious at the bottom.

II.   THE FALSE STEWARD VV. 48-51

          When a master places someone in charge of his household, he appoints a trustworthy servant whom he expects to do well. The master wants to leave his hands in dependable hands. When you are traveling outside the United States, do you not want to leave your house in the hands of someone who would take care of it for you when you are away? However, human nature is not always dependable, and the master may make a serious error in appointing a particular servant in whom he has put his confidence. In other words, the master can never be absolutely certain that the servant will live up to his expectations.

          The servant may have put a façade before he received the appointment. Now that his master has left, he reveals his true character. He is sly, cruel, and intemperate. On the basis of other journeys his master has taken, the servant calculates that he will stay a long time. In the master’s absence, the servant begins to beat his fellow servants. He feels quite safe in doing so, thinking that the time of his master’s return is in the distant future. He spends his time in the company of drunkards with whom he indulges in excess in the form of food and drink.

          His master hurries home, and appears suddenly and unexpectedly. What is the master going to do with this servant who has been irresponsible and unfaithful? The master hears the stories about his behavior, his parties, and laziness. Nothing escapes him and everything becomes known to him. The master is now the judge and the law enforcer. He must pronounce the verdict and declare the offender guilty. Then he must administer appropriate punishment.

          Jesus said, “He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (24:51). This text presents some difficulty in understanding the phrase “cut to pieces.” If the phrase is taken literally, how can he be given a place among the hypocrites if he is “cut to pieces?” It is possible that the text contains an idiom that should be understood metaphorically, much the same as the expression “skin him alive.” The phrase “cut him to pieces” is a more literal translation of “to cut him off” from the midst of his people. This wording harmonizes with the teaching of Psalm 37, in which the righteous will inherit the land, but the wicked will be cut off. The servant who failed his master receives the opposite reward of the responsible, trustworthy, and faithful servant. He is separated, cast out, and cut off from his people.

          THE ESSENCE OF THE PARABLE

          What is Jesus teaching us with this parable? In this parable, Jesus links belief with behavior. In other words, if you call yourself a Christian, a disciple, and, a witness of Jesus Christ, what you believe or profess as your faith in Christ should be consistent with your behavior. For instance, if you believe in the Second Coming of Christ, then, you must behave accordingly. You cannot live, as you like if you truly believe that Jesus Christ may come at any moment. The certainty of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ should regulate your home life and preserve you from giving way to riotous excess of living. God-honoring service, true fellowship, holiness of life, and watchfulness will be yours if you allow the thought of the Christ’s return to dominate every part of your life.

          The point of the parable is to call attention to the responsibility given to every follower of Christ. Some believers receive greater privileges than others, but they also are charged with greater responsibilities. Because every believer has his/her own duty in the service of the Lord, no one is excluded or exempt.

          The master of the household represents Jesus Christ, who leaves with the promise of His return. In Jesus’ absence, His followers, including you and I have privileges and responsibilities. If you are faithful and wise in the discharge of your duties, Jesus will reward you abundantly when He returns. But if you are unfaithful and behave irresponsibly, at Jesus’ return you will face complete separation from the people of God along with dreadful punishment. Now, those who are unfaithful and behave irresponsibly are showing by their behavior that their belief or profession in Christ is a sham. They are just like Judas Iscariot. Realize that Judas Iscariot was a disciple of Christ but his beliefs did not match his behavior. He ended up betraying Jesus Christ and subsequently committed suicide.

          One thing that is sure is that the return of the master will be sudden and without warning, and the evil servant will be “caught in the act.”

          The language of verse 51 speaks clearly of the judgment of God against phonies and hypocrites. Everywhere in the Bible Jesus is presented as the loving Lord of all who come to Him in repentance and faith. But on few pages the Bible points to the holiness side, the side of God completely intolerant of sin, unwilling to compromise with evil.

          These fewer pages of the Bible balance the picture. God is love, and God is holy. All who trust in Jesus Christ are participants in holiness. The penalty for your sin was paid on the cross. But everyone who rejects Christ stands in danger of the judgment of a holy God. Do not be there when God’s anger strikes. The Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of   God. “For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). Heed the warning and appeal to Jesus because He is your only hope.