The Wicked Farmers
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the chief corner stone;
This came about from the Lord,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.
Central idea of the text or main idea of the text:
Israel’s missed their blessing because they rejected God. As a result, he would offer his blessing to the Gentiles.
Homiletic idea: Rejection of God results in others receiving our blessing.
Introduction:
A vineyard takes time to develop. It requires farming the land year round. It is hard work, plants have to be cultivated, tended and pruned at just the right time. They have to be protected from the weather, the bugs and the animals. It requires a large investment of time and money. A small winery in our time will easily take $15 million to get started, along with 4-6 years before there is a crop mature enough to do anything with. It is not for the faint-hearted. In , Isaiah writes about God’s vineyard. he tells us it is set on a fertile hill, the soil has been meticulously prepared. The best vines were planted and a tower was built in the middle. Everything for harvest was put in place, but it produced worthless grapes. This is a picture of Israel. Jesus tells a similar story as he challenges the religious leaders again. I want you to hear His words today as a challenge to us.
Outline:
God Offered Everything the People Needed
God Offered Everything the People Needed
Matthew 21:33
“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.
a. He planted the vineyard, put a wall around it and provided the tools for the harvest and the tower to protect it.
He provided for His people
He provided for His people
a. He planted the vineyard, put a wall around it and provided the tools for the harvest and the tower to protect it.
Everything they needed to be successful was put before them.
i. God provided a covenant with Israel. He promised to bless them, and more. .
He protected His people.
He protected His people.
God has alway provided protection for His people. , .
c. After setting it up for success, the landowner rented it out.
i. He went on a journey.
ii. How could they not be successful?
d. I believe they were successful. They obviously had a crop the did not want to share. The land owner knew they were successful. After all He gave them everything they needed. What they did not realize was, if they did not give Him what was His, He would get it anyway.
God Will Claim What is His
God Will Claim What is His
When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.
V34
The farmers claimed God’s produce as their own.
The farmers claimed God’s produce as their own.
i. They beat one, killed another and stoned a third. V35
ii. He sent more and they did it again. V36
iii. He even sent his son whom they killed and claimed his inheritance. Vss37-39
When we reject Jesus, when we sin, we are claiming what belongs to God as our own. This is my stuff. Who is God to tell me what to do with it? I worked hard for this stuff. Why should I give anyone some of it. Where was He when I was working hard out under the sun in the heat of the day?
They forgot who set them up in business
They forgot who set them up in business
, who made them successful.
i. Their arrogance and greed got the best of them.
This is a picture of Israel
This is a picture of Israel
By His grace and compassion God entered into a covenant with His people. He blessed them and protected them and they forgot Him. They took credit for what God had done for them.
i. They were so blessed they started to think it was their doing.
ii. God sent prophets to call the people back and they were rejected.
iii. He sent more prophets and they were rejected.
iv. He finally sent his son and His people rejected him and killed him.
This is a picture of us
This is a picture of us
God Will Not Tolerate Rebellion
God Will Not Tolerate Rebellion
3. Those listening to Jesus knew that the owner would not stand for this. He would replace the wicked tenants with ones who would not claim his property as their own. Vss 40-41
a. What Jesus’ hearers didn’t realize was that they were the wicked tenants.
i. They had appropriated what was God’s and claimed it as their own.
They did not give God his due
They did not give God his due
They found ways around His laws
They found ways around His laws
They imposed their religious rules on others.
They imposed their religious rules on others.
They rejected John the Baptist and they rejected Jesus
They rejected John the Baptist and they rejected Jesus
b. Jesus quotes about the stone which the builders rejected. V42
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.
i. This rejected stone would become the foundation for the Kingdom of God.
ii. Those who reject it will lose it.
iii. It will be given to those who accept it.
c. Finally the chief priests and Pharisees realize Jesus is talking about them.
i. They want to kill him.
ii. They do not because they are afraid of the people.
Conclusion:
The tenants never owned any of what they had
o Everything they had belonged to God.
o We are just tenants, taking care of what belongs to Him.
o We get off base when we forget God and think we have accomplished everything on our own.
o We forget that God has provided everything we are blessed with.
· God has offered everything we need.
o The kingdom is prepared and is waiting. If we will seek Him first, He will take care of the rest.
o We can either accept it (Jesus) or reject it.
§ Rejection means that we walk away from God’s provision and His blessing.
§ What more does God need to do?
· He provided everything for the wicked tenants.
· They have no excuse for rejecting him.
§ What else can God do to convince us?
· He has sent His son.
· He has given His word.
· We have no excuse for rejecting Him.