Obedient

When you obey the word of God. Guess what happens, God allows the Holy Spirit to work more in your life and you begin to see things the way that you can never sleep you look at the word of God.

But you're obeying the best you can in the power of the Holy Spirit and you begin to obey God and your marriage will be God in your church begin to serve you to share you to live a life of holiness unto God to share your testimonial being obedient to God is what happens the work you begin to see the power of God, you begin to see God moving in other people's lives. Obedience brings elimination what happens when there is disobedience when you refuse to obey God, something God tells you, and you make a lot of I preach a message to joke about bring something you already thinking you might like it reads incomprehension is like someone turns off the light and was a somewhat real getting this obedience opens your eyes. Disobedience brings blindness to turn a portion of the upcoming title obedient pastor Abbott on shop church in Henderson, North Carolina cleaving our goals and make Christ visible everything that we do come check us out at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson for visit us online@clevelandbc.org join us for the rest of this week's message.

As parents we often say things to our children.

Things like who is the parent here you or me have ever said that to your kids right what we are saying that to tell them the obedient were in charge. Maybe I'll overset your kids. Why because I said so that's why right or things like as long as you live under my roof. You will abide by my arthritis is in charge here, with the goal of all these statements is to get our kids to obey us, so also God repeatedly commands us in his word to obey him to be obedient. He is our heavenly father and he demands right he commands us to obey him totally immediately and cheerfully so when we have a kind of obedience that is partial, we obey some things and we disobey the others.

When we have a kind obedience that is delayed. We take our time in our world and our way. We will consider obeying God when we obey him, not cheerfully but but in a disgruntled manner. That's disobedience partial delayed and disgruntled obedience is disobedience in this morning to go to learn in our series on the parables of Jesus.

The importance of being obedient to God. God loves you. God will do anything for you, he will answer your prayers. But there is no substitute to obedience.

That's in your court. You have to obey him, God will not make you obedient, he will not make you obey his laws. You have to make that choice to be obedient to him, and that is the title of our message today. It's on the parable of the two sons very simple parable in the messages. Call obedient is from Matthew chapter 21 starting in verse 28 unless all once again stand for the reading of God's word. Matthew chapter 21 in verse 28 what you think.

A man had two sons and he came to the first and said son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said I will not but afterward he regretted and he went when he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said I go, sir, but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father and they said to him to Jesus.

The first one Jesus said to them, assuredly, I say to you, tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

As you know parables are like mirrors when you read a parable.

It's a story that you have to find yourself in that story what character are you playing in that story. So the question is which sun are you are you the son who said yes to his father but he did not go or are you the son who said no but he actually went. He regretted and did what his father told him to do.

Which one are you are you the one who is all praise Jesus, I love God I minute and then when it comes to obedience. You don't obey God. You already made up your mind you've drawn the line and said this is as far as I go.

Nothing more nothing less. And no matter preaching, teaching, even God can come down here and tell me I made up my mind I'm not going to do it than you living in disobedience in disobedience is sent in this morning.

The challenge to you the encouragement to you is to say, God, what is that area of my life or areas of my life where I have been disobedient to you. This message is for me.

I'm the first in line because I can see right now. The places where I have said God no, it's time to repent is time to confess and are you a child of God is only through Jesus Christ that you can call God your heavenly father. So if you've never done that right this moment were doing something new, which is why wait till the end to say it's time to get Savon to get saved. Now you'll enjoy the service a whole lot more. A man so if you have never prayed to receive Jesus as your Savior as your King you pray right now.

Here's a simple prayer right where you are. Dear Jesus come into my life. Forgive me of my sins. I believe that you are the son of God you died for me and I need you to forgive me of my sins and God take over. I need your help and if you prayed that prayer Hank him for saving you thank him for placing his Holy Spirit inside of the more or less serious on the parables of Christ.

We've looked at many parables so far, but most of them have been generic parables which means they are applicable more or less to all the people who were in Jesus's audience. Today's parable that we just read is so different it is. I would call it a specific parable is a parable that Jesus gave specially to the religious leaders when it comes to Jesus and his ministry.

There were two kinds of people in the crowd.

The first word the out crowd and we will see who they were and then simply the in crowd of people. The out crowd in the in crowd now who were the in crowd. Let's focus on them for a few moments the in crowd were people who opposed Jesus. They were the Pharisees, there were the scribes.

There were the Sadducees, the religious leaders.

The ones who were trying to keep the law, but trying to keep it in their own way in their own standard of righteousness, but unfortunately this group that was supposed to be the end crowd so-called churchgoing people. They actually opposed Jesus rejected him. In fact, understand the background of this parable, we have to back up to Matthew 21 and verse 23 now when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted him as he was teaching, and said, by what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority what they were saying is wearing charge if you want to do anything, Jesus, you have to come through us. This is the end crowd. These are the church people. Well, there's a reason why they asked that question. What authority do you have, because Jesus had done something very recently, I was a little earth shattering. He walked into the temple, and he began cleaning out the temple member that he drove out the money changers. He turned over the tables. He let the animals lose and he was driving them out. Now why did Jesus do this if the end crowd had really studied the Bible, Dale should have known what Jesus was doing was he was fulfilling messianic prophecies. The Bible tells us in the book of Ezekiel in the book of Zechariah in the book of Malachi that when the Messiah came, he was going to rebuild the temple.

Jesus was the Messiah.

He came but he didn't try to rebuild.

He began by purifying the temples of what he was doing was to clean out the temple. How do we know that this in the Malachi chapter 3 verse one just one verse on the rate it says, behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me was the messenger of the Messiah was a messenger of Jesus. John the Baptist, I mean how obvious is that John the Baptist is the message does not prepare the way you listen to this.

And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple.

And there you have it you can get any clearer than that John the Baptist is the messenger Jesus is the Lord who comes suddenly in his temple. I mean they should have known. But here's the problem.

This group had already rejected John the Baptist. No wonder they could not recognize Jesus the Messiah damage after the messenger. How in the world can the receive the Messiah. Now I make a point here that you hear me repeatedly mentioned throughout the sermon is very simple obedience brings illumination obedience opens your eyes to more truth.

Disobedience breeds incomprehension renewal obey the word of God. Guess what happens, God allows the Holy Spirit to work more in your life and you begin to see things in the way that you can never see before. When you refuse to obey God, something God tells you, and you make a lot of it. I preach a message and you joke about it operates something and you already thinking you might like nothing to do it.

It breeds incomprehension is like someone turns off the light and who is a somewhat Scott getting this obedience opens your eyes disobedience brings blindness. When my favorite preachers who lived in the Victorian era in England was a man by the name of FB Meyer FB Meyer said something that is always stayed with me. He said it this way. If a man refuses to obey the truth so far as it is revealed to him the glimmering light. Dallas dies out from his soul. Are you can say, if a woman is a woman refuses to obey the truth as far and as it is revealed to her the glimmering light dies out from her soul and her eyes become damned so that she cannot see. You can have the best Bible studies. You can go get a study Bible, you can go to David Jeremiah's conference.

You can go to John MacArthur nuclear John Piper.

I don't care.

With John you go to, you can go to all the women's Bible study at all. The women's immunosuppression conferences, but if there is disobedience in your life.

It doesn't matter. You still walk away empty. This is what these people were doing. They were in the end crowd, but they had rejected John the Baptist and Jesus says hey listen you're questioning my authority. Listen to what Jesus does in verse 24 is a powerful when they said what authority do you have to do what you're doing.

Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell me I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. What is the question Jesus the baptism of John, the baptism of John. Where was it from from heaven or from man, that seems like a riddle but is not what Jesus is getting at is you rejected John so answer for me when the John come from.

Did God send him or was he just a people's movement. The began to reason. Listen to the reason and they reasoned among themselves, saying, if we say, from heaven, then Jesus will say to us why then did you not believe him. Simple. If God send John why did you not repent, robbery, and are baptized but if we say from men. We fear the multitude for all count John as a prophet so they could even say that a look. John just came out of the you know the Dead Sea area. He was one of those you know, craziest scenes running around and that's what the people are so animated are you telling him telling us that when I got right with God, that he was just just a rebel do just try to do something to get attention. So what is the responsiveness of this. So the answer Jesus and said to him, we do not know. And Jesus said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

What Jesus was telling them is this if you rejected John's authority. There is no need for me to go any further. If you did not obey here. Why should I give you more here at this point, Jesus gave the parable of the two sons not preaching with passion this morning but keep in mind I'm preaching to me as well. The Holy Spirit is working in my life to two sons very simple parable father had two sons. He commanded both to go and work in the vineyard.

The first one said no.

This is the out crowd the one that said no. But later on he regretted he repented and then he actually went. He did what his father asked him to do or how about the other son with the other son said yes this is the end crowd. Yes, John is great at your John preach and John is amazing how saw him baptizing these baptizing people after a man is great going to go hear John again. At first this crowd accepted John until John got a little personal.

What did John say when he saw the Pharisees and the scribes. You said you brood of vipers, who warned you of the wrath to come, even now the ax is laid at the root of the tree in there like you know I like that preacher over there until he started talking about money until he started talking about interpersonal issues he got to personal so the out crowd became the end crowd.

The in crowd.

Now is the out crowd would listen to what Jesus said in verse 31 he says as surely I say to you, the tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but tax collectors and harlots. By the way, who are the tax collectors and harlots. There were the lowest of the society.

Tax collectors has sold themselves out to the Romans they were fleecing the people, the poor people they were overcharging them.

You historians tell us that sometimes even the Roman emperors had to step in and say you can charge anymore as how horrible they used to be historians tell us that entire villages were depopulated because the tax collectors were coming in beating up the people, robbing them overcharging them lying to them.

I mean even widows were beaten up in public. That's where the tax collectors were doing a guess what happens they go to hear John in the wilderness.

They are the norm crowd and by the way John was no tickled a year preacher anybody here know what that means. This one person at 234.

Have y'all been listening to a lot of your ticklers. There's a preacher that you feel good you feel great you feel awesome if you walk away is that I can fly missing. Now I can touch the sky it up. I feel so great man. He makes me feel so good but but you're still living in sin still doing things that are wrong in God is displeased with you. John the Baptist was not an ear to clerk.

He was not positive he was not.

You know justices get you niacin and pretty and and and put you out there know he was hard-core he was direct he was confrontational, and these people actually got convicted and got saved. Anybody know of a tax collector in the Bible who got saved very prominent one say Matthew Zaki us. Matthew actually wrote his gospel. He was one of them. He got saved, the prostitutes were prostitution, I was no better.

The Bible forbade part of prostitution Gentiles. Even the Romans and the Greeks and the Egyptians looked down on prostitution was something shameful and foolish and hurtful. Even prostitutes got saved, professional prostitutes, and they had to pay taxes to do what they were doing. They go hear John and John begins to put his finger at them and says you need to repent and you need to repent of their life is right out into the temple, but I need God in my life and they got saved, but how about the other crowd. The religious crowd there like John at first, until his words began to expose their sins and instead of confessing and repenting and submitting to God, they did just the opposite. They began to oppose in the began to criticize him. They held onto their own standard of righteousness. John was saying, repent, change, and they were saying no were not to do that because we don't think that way. We believe that as long as you you know have your dining table clean and as long as you make sure that your tithing of mint and cumin and all those vegetables, as long as you make sure that your your eating habits are pure and holy. That's all matter. So what John is talking about Whitman will go for that. They had their own standard of righteousness. Please listen very carefully just like some of you in the in crowd you have your own idea of what God expects as long as I go to church once a week and that too, if nothing else is going on. It's all good as long as I get up in the morning and say a quick prayer.

Thank you Lord for giving another day on good as long as I don't do anything really really bad. It doesn't matter. I am good.

We have created her own standard of righteousness. And as long as were meeting that standards we think it doesn't matter.

What did Jesus say listen again to verse 31. Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom before you. If you are the in crowd who things I'm good. Listen lost people are coming in and they are entering the kingdom ahead of you in my time as a pastor I have noticed both those people, there is the in crowd in church and there is the out crowd then crowd are those who have grown up in church. They know the ropes. They know how to act and behave in church.

They know the Christian lingo we call it Christian needs.

As always you say are the Lord is good appraisal Lord.

Amen as low as we say those words.

We think it's all good. This is the in crowd will be haven't done anything really really bad now once in a while. In college I did something in a got in trouble for that now. I'm not as bad as some people and we always have those people in our minds.

The other ones were sitting in prison.

The guy across the street who stays drunk all the time, or that girl who is cheating on her. Man, whatever wheat we think were not that we think we are the in crowd the yes crowd. I've also seen the out crowd there are those who haven't grown up in church, they don't know the ropes didn't know how things are done in church when I finish praying there still standing rest of y'all know how to sit down prayers over you said, were you thinking sit there still standing on what happens next. Didn't know what was happening. That's the tax collectors and the prostitutes. That's the out crowd and their coming in somehow. The gospel is affecting their lives, they are seeing God in a way they never saw him they receive Jesus they are getting safe. Something is beginning to happen in the heart. But guess what they feel threatened and guess what the in crowd will do we always try to move in a little bit in the try to get the out crowd a you want to be part of this new act like us, you gotta be like us know more about what the preacher say as long as you hang with us, and in many churches. Please listen your executive them talking about some boy got saved, went to church and guess what some of those in Crowder's did the car took him under their wings and then made them just like themselves but many times what happens is those out Crowder's cannot stand it because they're used to being in the bar.

There used to being in the world and and they cannot stand the hypocrisy of the in Crowder's and after a while I stopped seeing them. They don't come back and I'll go buy them cement what's happening we should become a church pastor. I'll just tell you saw some of the people who go to that church.

Some of the ways they live, how they act in church is not how they are outside and I can tell them everything I can to listen, don't worry about hip hypocrites. Don't worry about their lifestyle and how the act of the you serve God.

I know I should. But you see what happened.

The in Crowder's crowded out the out Crowder's which one are you are you part of the in crowd because here are some telltale signs of the in crowd you love hearing great messages elaborate here.

Love going to hear David Jeremiah you have a podcast of all your favorite preachers. You just don't do anything about it. Evangelism witnessing the Bible tells us Jesus said, go into all the world and make disciples. Listen if you are the in crowd. Your job is to witness are you witnessing is the preacher's job as a youth pastor's job. It's it's a Sunday school teachers job is my job. No, I like to sit back here is getting hot in here. It's about to get harder.

Tithing giving out please don't walk away thinking all day asking for my money clearly is being blessed. Amen lately God is doing a lot of things but I worry about your your few pennies okay you need to type the Bible tells you to. Tithing is not something that began because of Moses, Abraham, tides is giving 10% of your gross income is a net gross is gross to the Lord, are you tithing know what the Bible says in Malachi, God says you have robbed me, and yet you ask me. In what way have we robbed you in tithes and offerings will arm in the New Testament is the age of grace. You know, I don't believe in the value you eat pork. Now do you in the age of grace is called grace giving, which means tithing doesn't even count you give above and beyond are you tithing. While put my $20 in a liniment when you take up an offering for you because you're making 200 a month out of the how you getting along with the head we need to help you out. I will see how uncomfortable it got under this crowd said were done with Jesus. I'm out of here. I don't like him, just the way right now your heart is saying he's talk about my money hard work. I work hard for it.

He's talking about my money. See how when it comes to the Bible, you can go very long before God says disobedience, disobedience, disobedience, disobedience. I can preach a message on giving because that's another time.

You can never give God in heaven even on that you can never out give God. Are you tithing is not going to charge but you love coming in sitting down on that one Sunday when nothing else is going on.

Everything is finding a come sit down and then complain about how this and that and the other verbs. Let me ask you a question where you serve in the church, will you know I can do anything because of this and that and the other sit will keep you occupied a listen, understand their busy seasons in life when there might be that so there might be sickness or there might be job gotta do too much traveling right now understand that the folks many feel it's got nothing to do with that is just an excuse to scum said and do nothing while we have a ministry drive for you to walk through the tent and find a place where you said God what he will miss her very small. Maybe I can just take up the offering. Maybe I can help with the children's ministry. Maybe I can help with Kindle, which is our outreach in the inner-city. Maybe I can you serve somewhere else.

The joy ministry go to the nursing home. I just whenever we ask you this morning when you got saved.

What is the promise that you made to God.

Are you keeping that promise.

When we are in the trenches. We say God if you get me out of this problem. I will serve you.

Things get worse is they forget that. Lord, I'll take care of this. And then God gets you how and when you get out you go and not say whether doctors were so good that hospital was so good and my neighbors were so good is good to have family you forgotten God you forgotten the promises that you made to God, where are you are you meeting. Thank you so much for joining us for this message, ask yourself that question in your life right now you being obedient to God is not enough just to attend church and go through the motions to be totally surrendered and obedient to what God has called us to do. Give God your yesterday for more information visit us online@clearviewbc.org and for the sermon's notes. Check out Pastor Shaw's blood and other non-shot.com