Participants: David Asscherick
Series Code: 10GYC
Program Code: 10GYC000013
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00:12 Great to be here at the GYC.
00:14 I've had a great GYC conference. 00:15 How about you? Amen. And I am happy to be here. 00:19 I am happy to have had a good GYC, 00:23 if I can use that language, 00:25 but I would be remiss if I didn't say that 00:29 I would be even happier to have had, no, 00:32 to have no more GYCs. Amen. 00:38 The conferences are great, 00:39 but I'm sort of looking forward to something 00:41 a little grander, a little greater, 00:42 a little better. And so I invite 00:44 you to pray with me as we commence our 00:47 final presentation here for the 2010. 00:50 I suppose it's now 2011 GYC Conference. 00:55 Father in Heaven, 00:56 we anticipate your presence with us. 01:00 Not because we are worthy of your presence 01:02 or because we deserve your presence 01:05 for certainly we do not. 01:07 We anticipate your presence 01:09 because it is keeping with your promise. 01:10 You've said that where two or more are gathered 01:12 that you would be there in their midst. 01:15 And father we are gathered here this 01:16 morning a great many more than just two or three. 01:19 And we've invited you to be in this room, 01:21 but Father even that is a little inaccurate. 01:24 You were here long before any of us got here. 01:27 Filling all heaven and earth as you do 01:29 and so Father, we want to thank you 01:31 for having invited us to be in your presence. 01:35 And dear Father, it would be only 01:38 half of what we need if you remained only 01:40 inside of these walls. We need you in a place, 01:44 in the person of your spirit, 01:46 that is even more intimate, more proximate, 01:50 even closer than just inside of this building. 01:53 Father, we would ask that you would come 01:55 into our hearts and that the promise 01:59 of Jesus would be true in our experience, 02:01 that he shall be with you and shall be in you. 02:05 And so Father today, I pray that the spirit 02:08 would indwell us and that the inspiring spirit. 02:11 The inspiring spirit of scripture would now 02:13 become the instructing spirit. 02:15 And that our spirit as the Bible says, 02:17 in Romans 8; would bear witness with 02:18 your spirit that we would have a sense, 02:20 an intuitiveness, a knowledge not 02:22 just a belief. But something that 02:25 surpasses mere belief and becomes knowledge 02:28 that we are in fact the sons and daughters of God. 02:31 Father, this is only going to take place 02:33 if something supernatural happens. 02:35 We pray that you would take the elocution 02:38 and the oratory and all of the words 02:40 that will be spoken, and that you would 02:42 do something supernatural. 02:45 And that the spirit within us would resonate 02:47 with the spirit that is preached through 02:49 the word and that the inspiring spirit, 02:51 and the instructing spirit would now 02:53 be the infilling spirit. And Father, in all of 02:55 this supernatural transaction, 02:58 that we would leave this place, 03:00 not just this morning but over the course of 03:02 this convention having known 03:05 that we've been with Jesus and he has been 03:07 with us, that we have supped with him 03:10 and with his Father. So, please be with us 03:13 this morning as we open our hearts to you 03:16 and open your word. May you open your 03:19 heart to us, may we know you better 03:22 and may we know ourselves better. 03:25 This is our prayer in Jesus name, 03:27 let everyone say, amen. 03:31 Please open your Bibles with me 03:32 if you would to Matthew Chapter 19, 03:35 Matthew in the 19th Chapter. 03:37 First book of the New Testiment of course, 03:40 Matthew Chapter 19, and the question has 03:44 been asked whether or not fish know that 03:46 water exists? And the answer is probably not, 03:52 at least not for those fish that live in the 03:53 deepest parts of the ocean 03:56 or some deep part of a lake, 03:59 because how would you explain? 04:02 How would it be possible to explain 04:04 to a fish what water is? A fish is born in water, 04:08 lives in water, breaths in water, dies in water. 04:11 It lives its whole experience in water 04:14 and therefore has no comparison, 04:17 has no what everyone? It has no comparison, 04:19 it has nothing. If you are going to a fish 04:21 and you are trying to explain dry to a fish, 04:25 it would be a very problematic thing to do, 04:27 because you would have no referent. 04:29 You would have no, what everyone? 04:31 A reference. You see friends, 04:34 when you're dealing with two incommensurate worlds. 04:37 It can be very difficult to communicate what that 04:40 world is like, if the only reference that 04:42 we have or within the matrix or the context of 04:44 the only world to which we are accustomed. 04:46 A fish living in the very bottom of the ocean 04:48 or the very bottom of the deep lake would 04:50 have no referent for dry and you could 04:52 use all of the linguistic, gymnastic 04:55 and creativity and spontaneity 04:57 and skillfulness that you could come up with, 04:59 but it would be very difficult to try 05:01 and communicate because the fish 05:02 would have no reference. 05:05 There are other analogies that could be marshal 05:07 to make the same basic point. 05:09 Probably you've tried this experiment every, 05:11 or most of the days of your life. 05:13 You go to sleep and for those of you that dream, 05:15 I dream. Are you a dreamer? 05:17 Yeah, I dream every night. 05:18 Yeah, I don't have to watch movies, 05:20 because I get to watch them every single night 05:22 on the inside of the cinema of my eyelids, 05:25 and I don't know I've always dreamed. 05:29 I just, I've great dreams. 05:31 I have dreams where often I am the hero, 05:33 which is appropriate and I have flying dreams 05:39 and I have fighting dreams and, I mean, 05:41 literally I am not exaggerating, 05:43 every single night I get to dream. 05:45 And for those of you that you don't get 05:46 your dream, my heart goes out to you 05:48 with the deepest sympathies. 05:50 But in my own experience my dreams are so real 05:53 and they are even plot based, I mean, 05:55 it's absolutely astonishing, plot based. 05:57 And every morning when I wake up, 06:01 the realization I was, that I was sleeping 06:04 does not occur until I am awake. 06:06 In other words, here I'm in this world 06:08 and I am existing and I am fighting the enemy 06:11 or I am climbing the wall, whatever it is 06:13 and then all the sudden I am awake 06:15 and now I have a product of comparison. 06:17 I now have a, what everyone? 06:19 A product of comparison. 06:20 Now, I can say, wow! How weird is that? 06:23 I was sleeping, but the fact that, 06:26 that I know cognizance, I am aware that I was 06:29 sleeping is only because I have changed, 06:32 I have transcended my former situation. 06:35 I am now in a new situation. 06:36 A fish does have this luxury. 06:38 A fish never has the opportunity to say, 06:41 oh, now I am dry, I get it, I understand. 06:45 Jesus faced I believed a dilemma very consistence 06:49 with the dilemma that we are describing here 06:51 that awareness is largely the product of comparison. 06:55 Any of us who have traveled to the places, 06:57 especially exotic places and far away places 07:01 and you've come back from overseas 07:04 and you try and communicate to people 07:06 who exist in that world, your world what that 07:10 world was like, it's very difficult. 07:12 And the more different the place 07:14 and the more exotic the place 07:16 and the more unusual the place, 07:18 the more foreign, if I can use that language, 07:20 the more difficult that is to communicate 07:23 to these people, is this making sense everyone. 07:25 Are we together? And so what you look 07:27 for is a reference. A referent is some 07:31 point of attachment. So that you could say 07:33 something like this, well, you know, 07:35 how we fill in the blank, over there they, 07:39 fill in the blank, and you know, how we, 07:42 and you have some point of attachment. 07:45 And the more unusual the place the more 07:47 different the place, the more unlike 07:48 what you are accustomed to. 07:50 The harder and harder and harder 07:52 it gets to find those points of attachment, 07:54 to find those reference. What's the word everyone? 07:59 Reference. Now Jesus faced this 08:02 because Jesus have been to a place far different, 08:05 far in terms of its geography but even 08:08 more important then its geography, 08:09 in terms of its basic structure, 08:11 Jesus had been to a place and come from a place 08:13 that was totally, radically, completely 08:15 fundamentally different from anything 08:18 to which the disciples and the rest of humanity 08:20 were accustomed. How is Jesus going 08:23 to communicate the principles of 08:26 the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God? 08:28 How is He going to be able communicate 08:30 that to a people who live in sin, die in sin, 08:33 are saturated by sin, love sin, 08:35 are saved from sin, or attempted to sin 08:38 and eventually die because the wages 08:39 of sin is death. Our whole reality is 08:42 absolutely sin-saturated. Are we together everyone, 08:46 yes or no? Jesus comes from a place where there 08:48 is no sin. No rape, no murder, 08:51 no genocide, no agendas, no oppression, 08:54 no injustice and here comes Jesus, 08:56 we don't know how it would happened, 08:57 of course. It's impossible 08:58 probably for us to understand the physics 09:00 of the event, but Jesus... 09:02 And there he is in Bethlehem's manger. 09:04 And as He grows and He calls His disciples 09:07 to Himself, He faces the very difficult task, 09:11 the monumentally difficult task. 09:13 I would say, were it not for the evidences 09:15 of the New Testament. The impossibly difficult 09:17 task of communicating to the disciples, 09:20 the fish, what dry is like. 09:23 Now to further complicate matters, 09:26 the disciples and others already think 09:29 they know what dry is like. 09:31 So when Jesus comes down and says, 09:33 the Kingdom of Heaven they already think 09:37 they know. They think they have a basic 09:41 understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven. 09:43 Their referent for the Kingdom of Heaven 09:46 what would have been the kingdom 09:47 to which they were most accustomed, 09:48 the kingdom of Rome. What kingdom everyone? 09:52 Rome. The kingdom of Rome and we could spend 09:54 time talking about Rome in terms of its breath 09:57 and its height and its depth and its intellectual 10:00 sophistication, of course, the inheritors of the 10:03 Greco-Roman world, the Hellenistic world and. 10:05 We could talk about the military might of Rome 10:07 and the cruelty of Rome, and the sophistication 10:10 of Rome and just the geographical 10:12 swath that was Rome. And so in the mind of 10:14 the disciples, of course, being Israelites 10:16 subjected to this grand, monolithic power 10:20 called Rome. When Jesus uses the word kingdom, 10:24 what word everyone? When Jesus uses the word 10:28 kingdom their referent is Rome. 10:32 When Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is, 10:35 they referent is Rome and we know this. 10:39 The evidence in the New Testament that 10:41 they consistently even after the resurrection 10:43 their Acts Chapter 1, Jesus is just ready 10:45 to ascend to heaven, he's already spent 10:46 several days with them, forty days with them. 10:49 After the resurrection 10:51 the heart that is just burning, 10:52 the question that is burning in their hearts, 10:54 they're waiting with bated breath, 10:55 they have to have this question answered, 10:57 Acts Chapter 1, Jesus, will you at this time 11:01 restore that is anyone know what? 11:03 The kingdom to Israel, this is after the 11:07 resurrection, this is after having spent more 11:10 than three years with Jesus and the question 11:12 that is just burning in their hearts, 11:14 what about the kingdom Jesus, 11:16 is this the point where we get to start loping 11:18 the heads off of the Romans. 11:20 Because we're sort of looking for that. 11:21 We're looking forward to that part. 11:25 Every time Jesus would speak of the kingdom, 11:27 in fact, everything that Jesus would do, 11:28 would be filtered through the disciples 11:31 referent of what a kingdom was? 11:34 A kingdom is Rome. Rome wasn't built in a day. 11:39 This was the reality for the disciples. 11:41 The history of the Jews of course, 11:43 have been on uninterrupted history of, 11:46 basically subjugations to pagan powers, 11:49 whether the Assyrians or to the Egyptians 11:51 or to the Babylonians or to the Greeks 11:53 and the Persians and now the Romans. 11:56 In uninterrupted history of captivities 12:00 and here this most recent captivity 12:02 to the Romans was, they hated the Romans 12:05 and yet in some ways they admired them 12:07 for their strength, for their puissant, 12:09 for their power, for their intellectual 12:11 sophistication. And so, here is Jesus talking 12:15 about the Kingdom of Heaven 12:16 and the disciples are hearing every thing 12:18 through Rome wasn't built in a day, 12:20 all roads lead to Rome, when in Rome do as 12:23 the Romans. So when Jesus 12:24 says the Kingdom of Heaven, 12:26 what the disciples must be hearing is that 12:29 whatever Rome is, I mean, think about 12:31 the kingdom of God must be. 12:34 If Rome is mighty, the kingdom of God 12:38 must be mightier still. If Rome is powerful 12:41 and puissant, the kingdom of God 12:43 must be more powerful and puissant still. 12:45 If Rome is huge, the kingdom of God 12:48 must be larger still and the disciples love 12:50 this talk about the kingdom, with the only 12:53 exception, the only problem being 12:54 they don't understand any of what he actually says. 12:58 Jesus having come from there to here, 13:01 now has to try and find language 13:04 and to try and locate a reference. 13:08 To try and locate a connection, 13:10 some point of attachment to which they can say, 13:13 oh, oh, so that's what the kingdom. 13:18 Oh, oh, okay. And so, imagine the incredulity 13:23 of the disciples. I mean, you can hear 13:26 the incredulity in the New Testament. 13:28 When Jesus would say the most unusual the most, 13:30 the most befuddling things. 13:31 He would say things like this; fellows, 13:36 the kingdom of heaven and they are waiting with 13:39 bated breath. This is what they have 13:41 signed up for when they joined the Messiah club. 13:42 This is what they signed up for, yeah, yeah, 13:43 yeah, yeah, yeah. The Kingdom of Heaven. 13:46 Fellows, the Kingdom of Heaven, 13:54 it's like a mustard seed. 14:01 Matthew Chapter 13. These are not words 14:04 that are calculated to set the blood racing. 14:09 But Jesus isn't finished, he's on a roll now, 14:11 yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, in fact, 14:13 the Kingdom of Heaven is also like yeast. 14:21 Again not exactly where it's calculated 14:23 to set the blood racing. 14:24 And now Jesus is off to the races. 14:26 Yes, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net. 14:29 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man 14:30 who found a treasure buried in a field. 14:32 The Kingdom of Heaven is like 14:34 and the disciples are sitting there in absolute 14:36 stupefaction and absolute... 14:42 Amen. Amen, I mean, this doesn't really 14:48 fit into their modus operandi of what the 14:50 Kingdom of Heaven is. I mean, you don't really 14:52 envision the disciples charging into 14:54 the field of battle, ready to lop the heads 14:56 off of the Romans, which we know that 14:57 Peter was just couldn't wait to do there in the 14:59 Garden of Gethsemane, he's like this is it, 15:00 this is the. So you know, it just it's hard to 15:04 imagine the disciples charging into battle, 15:07 mustard seed, all right. Yeast, you know 15:14 it's just not. So the disciples were, 15:18 they were in a bit of conundrum here, 15:20 the Kingdom of Heaven is like. 15:22 Why does Jesus use these highly unusual, 15:26 very non kingdom like things 15:28 to describe a kingdom. What would I say because 15:31 he not only had to do something in terms of 15:34 an intellectual thing. He had to undo something. 15:38 Not only is it what the Kingdom of Heaven 15:40 is like by extension and even more importantly, 15:43 this is what the Kingdom of Heaven is not like, 15:45 it's not like Rome, it's not power, 15:47 it's not strength, it's not mighty, 15:48 He said the most unusual things. 15:50 How did you find that? Oh! Thank you Jesus. 15:55 This is my Bible, which I have had for 10 years 16:00 and which has been lost for the last 36 hours 16:02 and it's now returned to its owner. 16:03 Just wanna thank you Lord. 16:05 You're so absolutely amazing 16:06 and thank you Laura. You are a messenger. 16:08 That is a messenger that will not be shot. 16:10 She maybe hug, she maybe praise 16:13 but she will not be shot and thank you Henry 16:15 for the use of your Bible. 16:16 But, you know, I was little nervous about 16:18 it honestly that's why I haven't gone to it yet. 16:20 We are still... I just wasn't sure, 16:25 but this one it's like oh, you know, 16:27 I feel like in those, those old movie scenes 16:29 where it's like my sword and... 16:32 Now, you have no idea what's coming. 16:36 So the point is this, the things that Jesus 16:38 is saying are so totally unkingdom like. 16:43 Now I don't find any place in the New Testament, 16:46 me personally. I don't find any place in the 16:49 New Testament where Jesus says unambiguously 16:52 the Kingdom of Heaven is something. 16:56 I don't find that, maybe you do. 16:57 I don't find anywhere where Jesus gives an actual, 17:01 grammatical, theological equivalence. 17:04 The Kingdom of Heaven is fill in the blank. 17:08 I find him saying things like 17:11 the Kingdom of Heaven is like, 17:15 the Kingdom of Heaven is, what everyone? 17:17 Like. Why does Jesus have to use the word 17:20 because He's searching, He's searching for a 17:22 referent, something that will make sense. 17:25 Some point of contact, some point of touch 17:29 with the disciples. The Kingdom of Heaven 17:32 is like a grain of mustard seed. 17:33 The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast. 17:34 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a net. 17:35 The Kingdom of Heaven is like fill in the blank. 17:37 And arguably the most difficult place, 17:41 the most difficult analogy, 17:42 the most difficult simile that Jesus implies is 17:45 found in Matthew Chapter 20. 17:46 Now you open your Bible's Matthew Chapter, what? 17:48 You remember, 19, and the reason I am 17:50 going to Matthew Chapter 19 before 17:52 Matthew Chapter 20. We want to set a context, 17:55 a what everyone? Context. 17:57 So let's dive into this, I'm going to maintain 18:00 most difficult of the Kingdom of Heaven 18:03 is like statements and let's see what the 18:04 takeaway is. You can just quickly glance it. 18:06 It's Matthew Chapter 20 verse 1, 18:09 Matthew Chapter 20 verse 1; 18:11 For the Kingdom of Heaven is, 18:13 what does your Bible say? 18:14 For the Kingdom of Heaven, 18:15 what does your Bible say, maybe it's different 18:16 then mine. Like, let's all say that together, 18:19 the Kingdom of Heaven is? 18:21 Like, a landowner who went out early in the 18:24 morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 18:26 Again not exactly the kind of thing that would, 18:29 you know, you would scream charging 18:31 in the battle. Landowners, you know, 18:33 it's just doesn't, it doesn't really lend 18:35 itself to a testosterone saturated battle. 18:39 But anyway, how are we going to understand this, 18:42 I think it's the most difficult one frankly. 18:44 And we are going to understand by going to 18:46 Matthew Chapter 19 and setting a context. 18:49 A what everyone? Because we want 18:51 to be sure that we're reading the passage 18:53 Matthew 20 in its historical, theological 18:56 and in the context that Jesus intended. 18:58 So let's begin there in verse 16. 19:01 Verse 16 says, Now behold, one came 19:03 and said to Him, "Good Teacher, 19:05 what good thing shall I do that 19:07 I may have eternal life? We called it, 19:10 we don't know his name? But what do 19:11 we call this guy? We call him the rich, 19:14 young ruler, so we're just gonna call him Rich. 19:16 So, Rich comes to Jesus and he basically has 19:20 a proposition for Jesus. Now I am going to invite 19:21 my good friend Justin Ken to come out here 19:23 and he just happen to be the one closest to me 19:26 and so I am so thankful just I'm gonna ask you 19:29 stand right here and Justin is going 19:32 to represent Jesus. And I'm gonna act, 19:34 ask him to act like Jesus, but he can try, 19:37 I mean, I don't know what you would do but.. 19:40 So we're gonna give you the water bottle. 19:42 Okay, now the water bottle represents 19:44 eternal life. What is it represent everyone? 19:47 Eternal life. Okay, now I am Rich. 19:49 Okay, I am the rich young ruler. 19:51 So I am, hey! I approach Jesus, 19:54 hey, good teacher, how are you doing? 19:58 Good to see you, okay, now what does he say, 20:02 he basically says, what thing, what shall 20:06 I do that I may have eternal life? 20:10 Is that what he says? So what should I do that 20:14 I may have eternal life, okay, 20:16 so now don't miss this. 20:17 This is crucial to everything else 20:18 we're gonna say. The rich young ruler 20:21 recognizes that Jesus has or at least 20:24 to be eternal if you heard the context has 20:26 access in terms of knowledge to something 20:28 that he wants, Okay. So and the rich young 20:30 rulers prospective, this is gonna be very simple. 20:33 You have something I want. 20:35 Hey, I am the rich young ruler. 20:39 We can make this, we can work this out, right. 20:41 I will do something for you and then 20:43 you will reciprocate, okay. He's accustomed 20:45 to being able to get things, to purchase things, 20:47 to own things, to negotiate, 20:49 he's an entrepreneur, he's a wheeler, 20:50 he is a dealer, he can get it done. 20:52 I say, hey, you got something that I want 20:53 and so I am just curious, really want that. 20:55 What I do? Together everyone? 21:00 So, in the rich young rulers view, 21:03 he is going to do something for Jesus 21:05 and Jesus is going to give it to him. 21:06 So can I have that Justin? Thank you. 21:09 Okay, do you see that? What has happened 21:11 here very simply in a word is exchange? 21:15 What's the word everyone? Exchange. 21:18 The rich young ruler wants to know what do I do, 21:21 what do I say, what do I give, what do I, 21:25 fill in the blank that I can have that 21:27 and then the exchanged takes place. 21:30 Is that make sense? Look at the verse again. 21:33 See if I am making this, verse 16; 21:34 behold, one came and said to Him, 21:36 "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do 21:38 that I may have eternal life? 21:40 He's striking a deal with Jesus. 21:42 He says very simple. This is basic economics. 21:45 You have something that I want and I am going 21:47 to do something and then you are going 21:49 to give me what I want and thank you, 21:51 it's been great doing business with you Jesus. 21:53 Are we together everyone? 21:56 Okay, now keep this picture in your mind, 21:59 keep this exact picture in your mind. 22:01 Thank you so much Justin. I appreciate it. 22:02 Now, keep this exact picture in your mind. 22:05 It's the idea of exchange, of what everyone? 22:09 Exchange. You didn't say it loud enough. 22:11 The idea of what everyone? Exchange. 22:13 Now let's continue on here. 22:14 Verse 17; He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? 22:16 No one is good but One, that is, God. 22:18 If you want to enter into life, keep the 22:19 commandments. He said, "Which ones?" 22:21 Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' six, 22:22 'You shall not commit adultery,' seven, 22:23 'You shall not steal,' eight, 22:24 'You shall not bear false witness, nine, 22:26 you would except ten to come next 22:27 because he said six, seven, eight, 22:28 nine but Jesus reverts back. 22:31 Verse 19; 'Honor your father and your mother,' 22:33 five, and, 'You shall love your neighbor 22:34 as yourself.' basically the submission 22:36 of the second tablet of the law. 22:37 Very interesting what Jesus does here 22:39 and very calculated to elicit the appropriate 22:42 response from the rich young ruler. 22:44 He basically says, which ones? 22:46 Okay, okay, okay, now we are getting somewhere. 22:48 Which ones because he's negotiating. 22:51 I will do something for you. 22:52 You will do something for me. 22:53 I will render a service. I will give an offer, 22:55 whatever it is? Let's strike up a deal, right? 22:59 Which one's, now they're negotiating? 23:01 The terms the contract being written out, 23:03 he says, oh, he says, well, you need to do 23:05 number six, got that; and you need to do 23:07 number seven, got that; and you need to do 23:10 number eight, yeah, I got that. 23:11 I don't need to do still anything, got that; 23:12 and you need to do number nine, got that; 23:14 and what's the rich young ruler expecting. 23:16 Six, seven, eight, nine, what would you expect? 23:19 Of course, you're expecting ten. 23:22 I am expecting 10. Everybody is expecting 23:25 ten and Jesus puts the things in reverse, 23:28 makes the U-turn and goes back to five. 23:31 Six, seven, eight, nine, five. 23:33 Then He says, you shall love 23:35 your neighbor yourself and then he stops talking. 23:40 Now the rich young ruler has a problem. 23:42 We don't call him the rich young ruler for nothing. 23:44 He has things. He has lots of things. 23:47 He is accustomed to having things. 23:49 Apparently Jesus could discern in the way 23:51 He carried himself and the way He dressed 23:52 we don't know. We don't know all of the 23:54 parameters of the story but Jesus discerns 23:56 that the struggle of this man's heart is greed 23:59 and covetousness. What's his struggle everyone? 24:03 Greed and covetousness, and so Jesus, you tell me 24:06 what's the Ten Commandment? 24:07 Encourage me now. That's shall not covert 24:11 which is inordinate desire for material things 24:13 and Jesus anticipates that this is the rich 24:15 young ruler's struggle and so He purposefully, 24:18 what word did I use, everyone? 24:19 He purposefully leaves off the Ten Commandment. 24:23 The rich young ruler being a Jew what would 24:25 have been absolutely familiar with the law 24:26 and so when Jesus says you keep number six, 24:28 you keep number seven, you keep number eight, 24:30 you keep number nine, six, seven, eight, 24:31 nine, five. The rich young ruler is now aware 24:36 that he is in the presence not just of a rabbi, 24:38 not just of a teacher, and not just of a 24:40 professor but umh, oh, and he somehow 24:43 manages the courage to say, oh, 24:46 I've kept all these from my youth. 24:48 What do I lack yet? Why would he asked, 24:51 what do I lack yet. If he wasn't under total 24:53 conviction that he lacked something. 24:55 Are you with me, yes or no? 24:56 Jesus is undoing now. Jesus has taken the 24:59 finger of divinity and He's placed it with the 25:03 exactitude of a surgeon right there. 25:07 How about right there? Does that hurt when I 25:08 push there right there? He has placed his finger 25:15 right on the very point where the rich 25:18 young ruler struggles and then He is quite. 25:20 He says nothing. The rich young rulers 25:21 manages the courage here to say. 25:23 All these I've kept from my youth what do I lack 25:26 verse 20. Verse 21; "If you want to be perfect, 25:29 go and sell all that you have and give to the poor, 25:32 and you will have treasure in heaven; 25:33 and come, follow Me." Verse 22; But when the 25:36 young man heard that saying, 25:37 he was very sorrowful, because he had great, 25:39 what? Possessions. He had great possessions. 25:42 When he heard that saying, the Bible says 25:45 he went away very sorrowful because 25:46 he had great possessions. 25:47 Now, this whole situation, this whole episode 25:50 in which the rich young ruler is looking for 25:52 an exchange. What everyone? 25:54 Sets up the dialogue that takes place next. 25:57 As the rich young ruler is walking far lonely away, 26:00 the disciples are looking on in 26:02 absolute incredulity. They can't believe that 26:05 Jesus let another one away, man we could 26:08 have used that guy's resources 26:09 and so they're somewhat frustrated 26:11 with the decision that Jesus has made. 26:12 We pick it up here in verse 23 26:14 but Jesus hasn't done yet. 26:15 Look at what he says here. Verse 23; 26:17 "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard 26:20 for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 26:26 Verse 24; and again I say to you, 26:27 it is easier for a camel to go through 26:28 the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter 26:30 the kingdom of God. Verse 25 says, 26:32 When His disciples heard it, 26:33 what does your Bible say? They were, they were, 26:36 they were greatly astonished, 26:41 they were just astonished. 26:43 No, no, no, no, they were greatly astonished. 26:46 Something about what Jesus said, 26:48 stuck at the very heart of what, 26:49 they believed about the nature of reality. 26:52 And the nature of reality of course, 26:54 relative to salvation is that if you're a Jew, 26:56 you are in right standing with God. 26:58 If you are a healthy Jew, this is a sign of 26:59 God's blessing upon your life 27:01 and if you're a healthy, wealthy Jew, 27:02 this is a double sign of God's blessing 27:04 upon your life. So a healthy, wealthy Jew 27:06 in the mind of the disciples would have been 27:07 triply saved, triply in right standing with God. 27:10 First, he's a Jew. A genealogy descendant 27:12 of Abraham, then he is healthy, 27:13 a sign of God's blessing upon him 27:15 and he is wealthy and Jesus just had the 27:17 temerity to say, the audacity to say that 27:20 it was hard for a healthy, wealthy Jew to be saved. 27:26 And the disciples heads are spinning, 27:28 they just can't believe what they have heard. 27:30 They were greatly astonished and Peter's 27:33 speaking up on behalf of the rest of the disciples. 27:34 Manages the courage to speak for all of them 27:36 and says verse 25, what's this question? 27:40 What is the question burning in their hearts 27:41 when they hear that? Are you kidding? What? 27:53 With all due respect Jesus, 27:55 who could be saved then? I mean if, 27:58 if it's hard for a healthy, wealthy Jew 28:00 to be saved and now the disciples begin 28:02 to be insecure. They begin to be insecure 28:04 about their own standing with God. 28:05 They begin of think of oh man. 28:06 If a healthy, wealthy Jew, if it's hard for him, 28:08 what about us? And here again Peter, 28:10 who either strikes out or hits a home run 28:12 that's classic Petering, I mean, he's either 28:14 hitting it out of the part or totally striking. 28:16 He's prepared to strike out here right in moments. 28:18 He's up to play. Here we go. 28:21 He swings, strike one; he swings, strike two; 28:23 and here we are in verse 27. 28:25 So Peter answered and said to him, 28:26 see and I love that. He is like he invites 28:28 Jesus to look at something. 28:29 Perhaps Jesus, something has 28:30 escaped your observational powers. 28:34 See, other translations, look I love that, 28:37 just, I just, Jesus take note. 28:40 See, see we have left all and followed you. 28:45 Now look at this. Therefore, on the basis 28:49 of this reasoning, what shall we have? 28:54 Oh, you got to be kidding. 28:56 There is no difference and you know, 28:58 there was no material difference between Peter 29:00 and the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler 29:03 has just walked way. He was unwilling 29:06 to give up his things and become perfect, 29:08 and sell all that he had to the poor 29:09 and so now we are in a situation where Peter, 29:12 he knows he didn't have all of the stuff 29:14 that the rich young ruler had. 29:15 And he's not rich, he's not young. 29:16 We don't know how young it was, 29:17 but he certainly not a ruler and so 29:18 I imagine Peter saying well, come on Jesus. 29:21 I mean, look at this new boat. 29:24 I mean, oh sure, I mean, I couldn't, 29:26 I couldn't afford you know the bigger model. 29:28 This one has the cloth seats. 29:29 But still I mean, I left it, we have left 29:33 everything and followed you. What do we get? 29:38 Now, what do we get? Do you see how there 29:43 is no material difference between the proposition 29:45 of the rich young ruler and the proposition 29:46 of Jesus. It's identical. The rich young ruler 29:49 to remind ourselves is looking for an exchange. 29:53 A what everyone? Exchange. 29:54 You've got to say with me on this. 29:55 He is looking for a what, everyone? 29:57 An exchange, you have something I want. 29:59 I will do something for you and you will 30:01 reciprocate, okay. I will do for you, 30:03 you will do for me. I will scratch your back, 30:05 you will scratch mine. It's an exchange 30:08 and you will reward me precisely to the degree 30:11 that I do whatever is expected of me. 30:13 It will be a proportional reward. Yeah. 30:17 See, we have left everything and followed you. 30:19 What's in it for us? We didn't leave everything 30:21 that you asked the rich young ruler. 30:22 We recognize that Jesus. Well, we did leave 30:23 something and what do we get based on 30:26 what we have left behind. Do you see that what 30:29 Peter is saying is exactly what the rich young 30:31 ruler is saying? You have something we want Jesus 30:34 and we want that and we've given up this, 30:36 is it enough? We want a proportional reward. 30:41 A what kind everyone? Ellen White says that 30:45 Peter has questioned manifested the spirit 30:47 of a hireling. The spirit of what did I say? 30:51 Hireling. What's the root word of hireling? 30:55 Hire, now hireling is not an employee. 30:58 An employee is somebody that you hire, 31:01 you have relationship with, that's ongoing, 31:03 it's overtime, you know them, they know you. 31:06 There is the Christmas party, there is the 31:07 Christmas bonus, there is the, you know, 31:09 the trip that we take with the company, 31:11 the company picnic. That's an employee. 31:13 A hireling is somebody that knocks on your door 31:14 and says I'll shove your driveway for ten bucks. 31:16 Sure. That's a hireling. Ellen White says that 31:20 Peter manifests the spirit of a hireling. 31:24 Hey, I will perform some odd job for you Jesus. 31:27 And you will reward me, commensurate with 31:30 and consistent with the work that I have done. 31:33 The rich young ruler and Peter are basically 31:36 viewing this whole transaction between us 31:39 and God in identical ways. 31:41 I do for you, you do for me. 31:43 Hey, I scratch your back, you scratch mine. 31:47 And now Jesus is perfectly poised to say beginning 31:51 in verse 1 Chapter 20, go there now. 31:55 Fellows I got to tell you something. 31:57 You need to clear up some misconceptions. 31:59 The Kingdom of Heaven is like I tend to see the 32:01 groaning of the disciples. 32:02 Oh, oh, another one of those, okay, here we go. 32:07 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner. 32:11 Who went out early in the morning to hire 32:14 laborers for his vineyard? 32:16 When he had agreed with the laborers 32:18 for a denarii a day, that's the day wage, 32:19 he sent them into his vineyard. 32:20 And He went out about the third hour, 32:22 and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 32:23 and he said to them; You also go into 32:25 the vineyard, and whatever is right 32:26 I will give you, so they went. 32:27 Verse 5; Again he went out about the sixth 32:29 and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 32:30 And so very simple, very simple illustration here. 32:33 There's a marketplace, and there's people 32:35 standing in the marketplace, 32:36 six O'clock in the morning. 32:37 Jewish day starts at six in the morning. 32:38 So, they're all standing there, hoping for work, 32:40 hoping that some labor, a person who is need 32:43 of laborers will come by and sure enough. 32:45 Sure enough, hey, hey, you guys want 32:46 some work today. Yeah, we would love to work. 32:48 Hey, a day's wage. Game on, yeah we're in. 32:52 So he sends them off to work in the vineyard. 32:54 And then he comes in at three hours later. 32:56 Says, this is now 9 O'clock. 32:58 What time is it everyone? 9 O'clock, 33:00 hey, you guys looking for some work? 33:01 Yeah, we'd love some work. 33:03 Okay, it starts a little late but get out right 33:05 over here and this is my vineyard, okay, 33:06 so they go to work. Comes out at 12 O'clock. 33:09 Hey, you guys looking for some work. 33:10 Yeah, we're looking for some work. 33:11 Please head to my vineyard. 33:12 Comes out at 3 O'clock. Hey, you guys looking 33:14 for some work. Yeah, we're looking 33:15 for some work. Sends them into his vineyard, 33:17 okay, so very simple. But what Jesus says 33:19 next is absolutely astonishing. 33:21 We'll pick it up in verse 6; and he went out 33:25 about the eleventh hour. When is this everyone? 33:29 The eleventh. What time of the day would that be? 33:31 That would be. If the first, 33:33 if hour one is 6 O'clock, what's gonna be the 33:36 eleventh hour? This is 5 o'clock in the afternoon. 33:38 Do you love it? It's 5 O'clock. 33:41 Here in the United States in America, 33:44 our work day is already done. 33:45 We've already checked out, we are headed home, 33:46 we are stuck in traffic at this point. 33:50 The eleventh hour, it says, he goes out about 33:52 the eleventh hour, verse 6 and he found others 33:56 standing idle. And he said, why have you been 33:57 standing here idle all day? And they said 33:58 because no one has hired us. 33:59 And he said to them, you also go into the vineyard, 34:01 and whatever is right you will receive. 34:02 Verse 8, so when evening had come, 34:04 the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 34:06 'call the laborers and give them their wages, 34:07 beginning with the last to the first.' 34:09 Start with the ones who worked only one hour 34:10 then pay the three hours, then pay the six, 34:12 then pay the nine, then pay the all day. 34:14 Line up them in reverse order of employment. 34:16 So there's the steward sitting in his table 34:19 and he said there in verse 9; 34:21 when those who came that were hired at about 34:23 the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 34:27 What do they receive everyone? 34:28 A denarius, and a denarius is how much? 34:31 A day's wage. Okay, so imagine that you are 34:34 at the front of that line. I mean, when he hired 34:37 you, you didn't have your overall aren't 34:38 so you had to run home, quickly get into 34:40 your work close and then see only work like 34:42 47 minutes, 48 minutes and now here handing them, 34:45 you've barely broken a sweat, you're standing 34:46 at the table. The steward is before you 34:48 and the steward is preparing to pay you. 34:51 You lined up in reverse order of employment. 34:53 One hour, three hours, six hours, nine hours, 34:55 twelve hours, lined up in reverse order 34:58 and the steward hands you a full day's wage; 35:02 twelve hours worth, of twelve hours moneys worth 35:04 of work. Now probably your response will be 35:07 something like this, oh, hey, bro, yeah, 35:11 love to take that but that actually those guys 35:16 who are back there, you know, we're sort 35:17 at the front of the line. We only worked hour 35:20 and the steward says, thank you, thank you 35:22 for the work you've done in the vineyard today 35:23 and this is your pay. I'm sorry, I think there's 35:28 just been a bit of miss. We only worked an hour. 35:32 We just worked one hour today. 35:35 Thank you so much, we really appreciate 35:37 your work and looks like you almost broke a sweat. 35:39 Here's your, here's your pay. 35:43 Now, here you are. 35:48 Cool, right, and you're gonzo. 35:53 You're out of there. Now just assuming 35:56 that the people with the back of the line, 35:57 they saw this interaction. 35:58 Okay, now you are at the back of the line. 36:00 Just imagine you're at the back of the line. 36:09 What? Did you.. I think this guy's confused. 36:14 So now by this time, now the three hours 36:16 labors come up. Hey, thank you so much 36:19 for the opportunity to work. 36:20 Yeah, and thank you for working today. 36:21 Maybe tomorrow too, you never know, 36:22 here's your pay a denarius. 36:26 Oh, yeah, no, no, appreciate that, 36:31 just the three hour labors here, few of us, 36:34 just three hours. Yet, we understand that 36:37 and we thank you for your work and 36:38 you did break a sweat, good for you 36:40 and here you go, here's your... really? 36:45 Yeah. Cool, thanks. Gone, right. 36:51 And on through, six hour labors day's wages, 36:54 nine hour labors day's wage and here, 36:56 how are these guys feeling? 37:03 Stop. Right, I mean these people have born 37:07 the burden in the heat of the day. 37:08 So let's go back to the parable here. 37:10 Let's go back to the parable. 37:11 We're in verse 7; they said to him 37:13 because no one has hired us, verse 8, 37:15 they are paying every one the same, verse 9; 37:17 then when those who were hired about the 37:19 eleventh hour came they each received a denarius, 37:22 but when the first came, verse 10; 37:24 they supposed, they what's the word everyone? 37:28 Oh, hey, what's up with this? 37:33 They supposed that they would receive what? 37:35 They suppose they would receive more. 37:38 But say it together, they suppose they would 37:40 receive more. And they likewise 37:44 received a denarius. Thank you, wow! Looks like, 37:47 you got a little money today, but hey, here's 37:51 your denarius. Can we talk to the guy 37:55 that hired us? Right, The Bible says that they 37:58 were absolutely upset. Verse 11; And when they 38:00 had received it, they complained against 38:01 the land owner, who does this guy think he is? 38:04 Doesn't he know this is America man? 38:06 Doesn't he know this is meritocracy? 38:07 Doesn't he know I mean we're gonna, 38:09 this is gonna be reported to the labor unions 38:10 and so verse 12 saying they begin to complaint 38:14 saying these last man they only worked an hour 38:16 and you've made them, look at this, 38:17 this is critical. You've made them equal to us. 38:20 Thank you very much working all day, 38:22 you've made them equal to us who have born 38:24 the burden in the heat of the day, 38:26 but he answered them and said, friend, hey, 38:29 I think there has been a big misunderstanding. 38:31 Friend, come here. Friend, friend, I am doing 38:38 you know wrong. I am sorry, remind me of 38:40 our conversation morning, 38:41 our contractual agreement. 38:43 Did you not agree with me for a denarius. 38:45 Refresh me, refresh me, I've been busy. 38:48 Take what is yours and go your way. 38:51 Now, look at this. Look at verse 14; 38:53 I wish, I desire, it brings me pleasure, I wish, 39:02 it just brings me pleasure. 39:04 I desire to give to this last man the same 39:06 as to you and just a question for clarity. 39:09 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish 39:12 what brings me pleasure, what brings 39:13 me happiness with my own things 39:15 or is your eye evil because I'm good. 39:23 This is what Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven 39:25 is like. And here are the disciples, the fish, 39:27 living at the bottom of the ocean. 39:30 And Jesus comes from the air. 39:32 The air of heaven, no oppression, 39:34 no injustice, no sin, no suicide, 39:36 no none of that and He comes down 39:38 and He's like okay, the Kingdom of Heaven is like. 39:39 And here they are swimming down here. 39:40 All they know is wet. And Jesus says let me 39:43 tell what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. 39:44 It's not Rome, it's not power, 39:45 it's not strength, it's not puissant, 39:46 it's not might, it's not geographical breath. 39:48 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a guy 39:50 who paid everyone the same. Amen. 39:56 The rich young ruler had just propositioned Jesus, 39:59 hey, hey, being a good American, of course, 40:01 hey, I will do for you, you will do for me. 40:03 Hey, let's work this out. Hey, my people meet 40:05 with your people and Jesus says, hey, 40:07 just sell everything you've got, you can 40:09 come and follow me. Hey, this will be great. 40:11 We will make a great. 40:15 So Peter, nervous as can be. 40:19 Who, who, who, who then could be saved? 40:24 See Jesus, look at everything we had given up, 40:28 what do we get. We know we didn't 40:30 give up everything or could not have given up 40:32 everything that you asked the rich young 40:33 ruler give up, frankly because we don't own it 40:35 but we have given up something and we are hoping, 40:37 in fact, we are expecting Jesus. 40:39 We are expecting a reward that is commensurate 40:42 with the labor that we have done 40:43 and what we have given up and Jesus says 40:45 you know what? Let me tell what the 40:46 Kingdom of Heaven is like. 40:47 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who hired 40:49 somebody at six in the morning, 40:50 he hired them at nine in the morning, 40:51 he hired them at twelve, he hired them at three 40:53 and then he hired the people at five O'clock 40:55 and when he line them up, he line up them 40:56 in reverse order of employee and he paid 40:58 every single one of them the same, 41:00 not because they deserved it 41:04 but because it brings the landowner pleasure 41:07 to treat people in a way that they do not 41:09 deserve to be treated. Okay, then so I guess 41:16 we could say safely that the Kingdom of Heaven 41:18 is absolutely nothing like the 41:21 United States of America. 41:22 And I want to be the first to say, 41:25 hallelujah for that. We love it, these people 41:30 aren't rewarded because of the work they did, 41:31 the quality or the quantity of the work they did. 41:34 They're rewarded, everyone of them is 41:35 rewarded the same, not because of the work 41:39 they performed, they not because of the goodness 41:40 they've done but because of the goodness 41:43 and the graciousness and the lavish desire of 41:47 the landowner to give to everyone as brings 41:50 him happiness and pleasure. 41:53 Let me tell you something, 41:54 the person standing in the front line, 41:56 he knew he didn't deserve a day's wage 41:57 and he got it anyway. Why did he get it? 41:59 Because the landowner treated him in the way 42:02 he did not deserve to be treated. 42:03 We could say this way, the landowner treated 42:05 him with grace. Yes, he did. 42:09 Now he needed more grace than the next guy. 42:11 Who did in fact work three whole hours 42:14 and was paid only 400 percent of what 42:16 he was deserved. Thank you and these 42:20 guys worked six hours, still they get grace. 42:22 Twelve times grace, the time and half grace, 42:27 full grace even the guys who work for nine hours 42:29 grace and you might be thinking what about 42:31 the guys worked all day. 42:32 They earned and this is true, but the landowner 42:34 still hired them, he was under no obligation 42:36 to hire them. His choice to hire them 42:39 is an act of grace. Beloved, check it out. 42:42 God gives grace to everyone. 42:46 This person gets grace, more grace not as much, 42:49 not as much, not as much, so lets see it 42:50 in reverse order. This person gets grace, 42:52 this person gets more grace, still more grace, 42:55 still more grace, and then in same amount of grace, 42:58 they worked for one measly hour and were 43:00 paid a full days wage. Not because of the work 43:02 they've done but because of the goodness 43:05 of the landowner. Beloved and Jesus says, 43:08 and that's what the 43:10 Kingdom of Heaven is like fellows. 43:15 Little different then the proposition that they 43:19 have brought to Jesus. Hey, hey, I do for you, 43:21 you do for me. I want a proportional reward Jesus. 43:25 Now I wanna ask you a very quick question here. 43:27 Can you think of any other story in the Bible? 43:30 Any other story in the Bible where somebody 43:35 was treated with exceeding grace 43:38 and somebody else was not happy about it. 43:42 Somebody was treated with tremendous grace 43:45 and oh, somebody else was not happy at all about 43:48 the way that person was treated, 43:49 by the way there are many of these stories 43:50 in scripture but one comes just absolutely, 43:53 just forces itself to the front of my personal 43:55 awareness in scripture. Anyone comes to your mind. 43:58 Of course, the prodigal son. 44:01 Luke Chapter 15, join me there if you would, 44:03 Luke Chapter 15, you know the story. 44:06 Randy, we will call him Randy. 44:09 Randy and Ronald we'll stick with the R motif, 44:14 got Rich, Reynold, Randy and Ronald. 44:16 So there's a guy, has two sons. 44:19 I've got two boys, I can relate to this. 44:22 Randy comes to his dad and says, hey, 44:23 dad I hate this place. We live out here 44:25 in the woods. We don't get Internet connection 44:27 and I am over it, I am totally over it. 44:29 The whole self supporting thing, 44:31 I wanna go to Vegas. I am not feeling 44:34 this at all. I want and you owe me half 44:36 of my inheritance, give me half of my inheritance, 44:38 and the father reluctantly agree. 44:39 He reluctantly says, okay, hey, you know, 44:42 we would prefer if you would stay here 44:43 and work on the organic farm and you know, 44:44 helps us to. We appreciate it 44:46 if you take another ARISE course, 44:48 literature of evangelism course but hey, 44:49 you wanna go to Vegas, that's your business. 44:50 So he gives him the money and Randy is 44:52 off to Vegas, yeah, going to Vegas. 44:55 And he gets to Vegas and he absolutely parties 44:58 and does all the things. The Bible says he 44:59 squandered his living with harlots 45:01 and he squandered his living with, 45:03 with riotous living. I mean, he's just 45:05 out there having the time of life surrounded 45:07 by friends until the money begins to wane 45:10 and then all of a sudden the friends begin to 45:12 disappear ever so slowly and the man finds himself 45:14 in a very different situation in Vegas 45:16 then the one that he had arrived in. 45:18 Now he's out of money and apparently 45:20 he doesn't even have enough at least 45:22 with the outset to get back home. 45:24 Doesn't have enough money to get back home, 45:26 and so he picks up a job and apparently 45:30 it was a job of the gentile because 45:31 this is a really bad thing. To be working 45:34 for a gentile and is that not enough. 45:35 He is feeding pigs. Now I am just quickly 45:38 going over the story because many of us 45:39 know the story. And so he's sitting there, 45:40 feeding pigs. What's he is doing everyone? 45:43 He's feeding pigs and while he is feeding 45:44 his pigs he has a moment of clarity, 45:46 a moment of lucidity. Here he is feeding the pig, 45:48 tossing the pots. What is this? 45:51 And note he is at moment of is like, 45:53 just like and epiphany comes to him. 45:55 And here's the epiphany. We're in Luke Chapter 15. 45:57 We are picking it up in verse 17. 45:59 But when he came to himself, 46:01 that's just another way of saying 46:02 he had an epiphany. But when he came 46:04 to himself he said how many of my father's 46:07 hired servants have bread enough, 46:09 have bread enough and to spare 46:12 and I perish with hunger. And then he says I, 46:15 I will arise and go to my father 46:17 and I will say to him, father, I have sinned 46:19 against heaven in before you. 46:20 I got a good idea, I'm gonna go back, 46:22 I'm gonna go back, I'm gonna go back to my dad 46:24 and it's gonna be tough. I don't wanna, it's got 46:26 be tough to face my dad because he is gonna 46:27 say in gracious way and I told you so. 46:30 Vegas is not the place for you. 46:31 You should stay in the farm whatever. 46:32 So he starts realizing that 46:34 this is gonna be difficult, 46:35 can be tough to go back to dad. 46:37 And so he starts planning what he's 46:38 going to say. He starts what everyone? Planning. 46:42 He starts what everyone? Planning. 46:43 So he gets out of his pen and gets out 46:45 of his piece of paper and he said, 46:47 I will read verse 18 and go to my Father 46:48 and I will say to him; Father I've sinned 46:50 against heaven and against you. 46:52 I am no longer worthy to be called your son stop. 46:55 Part A; I've sinned against heaven and against you. 46:58 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 46:59 He write down in his piece of.. 47:00 Yeah, that's sound good. Yeah, that's good. 47:01 I've sinned against heaven; writing it out, 47:03 and against you. I am no longer worthy 47:05 to be called your sons. But I've got same more. 47:07 I've got something more. I got it. 47:09 Part B, verse 19; make me like one of your 47:12 hired servants, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 47:15 that's it, that's it. So then he, 47:17 he gets up the courage to go and he starts 47:19 making his way back home. 47:21 Now at some point here, according 47:23 to Jesus telling of the account. 47:26 The father is sitting out, we don't know 47:27 sitting on the porch swing or something 47:29 and he's just sort of rocking back and forth 47:31 and he, he looks and the man is sitting there 47:35 and he, he sees what appears to be a 47:42 familiar guy and he's looking, he's looking, 47:45 sure enough. That earning of realization 47:50 come to and he says, that's my boy! 47:55 So the dad run out of the Bible says 47:58 and he falls on his neck and he kisses him 48:00 and I grew up in a home in which my dad 48:02 was a hugger. I mean none of this Adventist 48:05 hey frame stuff, hey! Or the Adventist 48:11 bumper cars, you know, the side hug. 48:13 The four hey hug. Hey, how are you? 48:16 Happy Sabbath and just like... 48:20 Okay, fine whatever I mean, I mean, 48:21 I am not looking for this but I know a hug. 48:25 And so the dad in the Bible say, 48:26 he falls on his neck, my son, my son, my son, 48:32 my son and the boy, the boy is trying to get 48:35 his speech out. He's like. 48:40 Father, I have sinned against heaven 48:44 and against you. Look at it. 48:45 Now, watch this. Here we are, check this out, 48:49 check this out. Verse 20; and he arose, 48:54 and came to his father. But when he was still a 48:55 great way off, his father saw him, 48:56 and had compassion, and ran, and fell on 48:58 his neck, and kissed him. Can you feel the passion 49:00 of the father, yes or no? Can you feel it, 49:02 yes or no? He is thrilled his boy is back, 49:06 he falls on his neck and he kisses him, 49:08 can't believe, holding up familiar form in his... 49:12 Oh, oh, is this my boy right there, 49:18 this is my boy. He is holding him. 49:21 Now watch this. Verse 21; Father, 49:24 I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, 49:27 I am no more worthy to be called your son. 49:29 That's part A. Does any one remember 49:31 what the part B was? Make me like one of you.. 49:34 but look at that text he never gets it out. 49:37 He never says it. The father cuts him off. 49:40 Verse 22; But the father said to his servants, 49:43 bring out the best robe, and put it on him; 49:44 and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 49:46 And bring the fatted calf, and kill it; 49:47 and let us eat, and be merry: 49:49 We're gonna have a party for this 49:50 my son was dead, and is alive again; 49:51 he was lost, and is found. 49:53 And they began to be merry. 49:54 Why does Jesus go to the, Jesus was a thinker, 49:57 he was intelligent and he was absolutely 50:02 lapidary in his articulation 50:04 of this story and when he.. 50:06 Why does he let you know that there was 50:07 two parts to the speech. I've sinned against heaven 50:10 and against you. I am no longer 50:12 worthy to be called your son. 50:13 The second part was make me like one of 50:14 your hired servant. Why does he include 50:16 that detail of the boy, never gets it out 50:18 'cause Jesus wants you to know the mentality. 50:22 The what everyone? He wants you to know 50:25 the attitude of the boy who is returning. 50:27 I am going to, I tell you what dad. 50:29 I got this all figured out. 50:30 I'll strike up the deal. I am no, I've sinned 50:34 against heaven and against you. 50:35 I'm no longer worthy to be called your sons. 50:36 But I've got this through and you make me 50:38 like one of your.. he never gets it out. 50:42 The dad is too busy rejoicing him 50:44 and rejoicing him and I would say 50:46 reinstating him, restoring. 50:48 Ellen White says, very essence of the gospel 50:50 is restoration "Desire of Age" page 22. 50:52 Grabbing him, my boy and rushing him off 50:57 to the parties and the boy must have thinking man. 50:59 At some point I've got to get the second part out. 51:03 Well, while the party is going on and the father 51:05 is just glorying in the return of his boy, 51:07 his son, his own flesh, his bone, his blood, home. 51:13 His other boy comes, like Moses and Joshua 51:17 coming down the mountain. He hears a sound, oh, 51:20 that's sounds like a party. Sounds like a party. 51:25 And so he calls over one of the servants, 51:26 do not miss this. It says here, verse 25; 51:32 his elder son came from the field: 51:34 and as he drew near to the house, 51:35 he heard music and dancing. 51:37 So he called one of his servants 51:38 and he asked what these things meant 51:40 and he said to him. Your brother has come. 51:42 You're not gonna believe this, 51:43 your brother has come and your father is 51:44 receiving him safe and sound. 51:45 Randy is home and oh, your dad has killed 51:48 a fatted calf and there is a party 51:49 and all the neighbors have come in. 51:51 Oh, Randy is only, he looks, he looks terrible 51:54 but I mean he's home. And the boy, the older 51:58 boy ran into Randy, Randy is home. 52:04 Bring him to me immediately. What? 52:09 You mean to tell me they're throwing a 52:10 party for Randy? Randy, Vegas Randy? 52:15 And then look at this, look at this. 52:17 This, look at this. Verse 28; look at this pouty, 52:20 pathetic excuse for a brother. 52:22 "But he was angry, and he would not go in: 52:25 Can you just see how big that lip is, 52:27 it just sticking all the way out. 52:32 I'm not going in, right. And so the servant 52:36 is like, ah, he's your bro. He's your brother Randy. 52:42 Remember fishing and remember that time 52:44 we did the hike in the, I'm not going in. 52:49 Tell dad, I'm mad. So the father goes out. 52:57 Ronald, Randy's home. Was that clear, 53:00 Randy's home, now watch this. 53:03 He pleaded with him verse 29, so he answered 53:05 and said his father. This is Ronald's response 53:07 to his father. Lo, these many years I have been, 53:18 what does your Bible say? Mine too. 53:23 These many years I have been serving you. 53:27 I never transgressed your commandment 53:29 at any time and yet you never gave me a 53:31 little goat that I might make merry with my friends. 53:36 But as soon as look at this, this son of yours, 53:40 not my brother. As soon as this 53:44 you can just see him spitting.. 53:46 As this son of yours. As soon as the son of 53:50 yours who has devour your livelihood translation, 53:52 my inheritance, with harlots and you've killed 53:56 the fatted calf and now at the father, 53:58 look at the father, look at father. 54:00 Verse 21; what's the first word out of his mouth? 54:03 Son, you've always been with me. 54:13 Everything I have is yours. 54:16 It's right for us to make merry we should be 54:19 glad because your brother was dead 54:20 and he is alive. He was lost 54:22 and he was found. Son, can you hear the 54:29 heart of the father? 54:30 Can you hear the surprise? 54:32 Now you thought that you thought 54:34 as I thought that the prodigal son 54:36 and the older brother were totally different. 54:39 You thought they were totally different 54:40 but they were the same. 54:43 They both related to their dad in the same way. 54:48 Why does Jesus tell us that 54:49 when he came to himself. He wrote out that speech. 54:53 I've sinned against heaven and against you. 54:54 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 54:56 Something missing. There is an element...Ah, 54:59 make me like one of your hired servants. 55:02 Why does Jesus include that detail? 55:05 He wants you to know about exchange 55:07 that's exactly right. He wants you to know 55:08 the attitude of the young boy. 55:12 The young boy was going to come back, 55:13 he was going to way to his father was a servant. 55:15 I will do for you and you will reward me. 55:19 You see the boy has a plan he has a economic plan. 55:22 I am going to do something for you 55:23 and you are going to reward me corresponded 55:27 in keeping with, commensurate 55:28 with what I do. 55:30 But the father is so busy rejoicing, 55:32 wrapping, hugging, kissing, taking him 55:35 to the party, dancing, killing the fatted calf. 55:38 He never gets that part out, 55:39 why does Jesus include that? 55:40 Because He wants you to know the 55:41 attitude of the boy. And here comes 55:44 his brother. So different and so identical. 55:51 Listen to his language, come on dad. 55:56 All these years dad, oh, just. 55:58 I could have been to Vegas, 56:00 all these years I've been serving you 56:03 and the father heart says woh, woh, woh, woh! what? 56:12 Son, all that I have is yours. 56:18 You've been serving me, is that how this works. 56:23 You're not my servant. Everything I have is yours. 56:29 You're always with me. 56:35 Beloved, listen to me. 56:37 The gospel is not a set of truths. 56:39 The gospel is a person and that person is God. 56:45 Have you understood this sermon? 56:46 Yes. Has this sermon made any sense? 56:51 Here you are in your GYC aquarium. 56:52 Are you hearing this sermon? 56:55 Yeah, I'm hearing it too. I mean I don't know 56:58 if I'm hearing. I think I am hearing 56:59 and I don't know I mean, 57:00 I am doing my best here. I don't understand 57:02 what Jesus means, I mean, I don't get it. 57:04 I mean, frankly I find this parable 57:06 a little repulsive. The capitalist in me, 57:08 the Keynesian economist in me thinks, 57:10 dad, this isn't exactly fair. But I want to hear, 57:13 I want to hear that God rewards us 57:15 on the basis of who he is, not on the basis 57:17 of who we are, what we've done? 57:20 No turning back but make sure you've first 57:23 turned back to him who is your Father. 57:27 Incidentally, you know, Ellen White says, 57:30 she says that when the old boy, the old boy, 57:35 the mad boy I am not going into the party boy. 57:37 She says, when he wouldn't go into the party 57:39 and he said, all these years 57:40 I've been serving you. She says, he manifest the 57:42 spirit of a hireling same as Peter, 57:47 same as the rich young ruler. 57:48 She uses the same word in totally different places. 57:51 Ellen White saw the absolute continuity 57:53 of these situations. Friends, I want to tell you 57:55 something today. You are sons and daughters of God. |
Revised 2014-12-17