Sunday LinkUp – 01October2023

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CALL TO WORSHIP

  • Opening choruses
  • OPENING PRAYER

WELCOME and THANKS for joining us

OPENING COMMENTS

  • The theme for this week is the problem of expectations.

 

OPENING SONGS

 

SERMONETTE 

PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT +

There’s a TV show called Undercover Boss.  Maybe you’ve watched it before.  The show revolves around a high-ranking executive or business owner who goes undercover as an entry-level employee in their own company, taking an alias, changing their appearance, and making up a back story.  These undercover bosses work in different locations with their unsuspecting employees, and they learn a lot about their own business and their employees.

If we think about Jesus’ incarnation, we might compare it to God showing up in an unexpected way.  No one would suspect a craftsman from Nazareth with his questionable parentage and birth story.  In Matthew 21, an altercation between the chief priests, elders, and Jesus shows us  that they almost blew his cover:

When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Matthew 21:23-27 (NRSVUE)

It might be more accurate to say that they did figure out he was the Son of God undercover, but if they acknowledged that, they might lose their power and authority over the people.  Undercover Jesus was not the Messiah they had expected.  He didn’t look rich or powerful, and he certainly didn’t exert his authority over the common person as they did.  Jesus went out of his way to disrupt their authority.  So when Jesus asked them where John got his authority to baptize, they lied and said they didn’t know.

Jesus learned a lot about his people that day, just like undercover bosses learn what it is like to walk a day in their employees’ shoes – their joys and their struggles.  The chief priests and elders let their expectations blind them to the Son of God standing right in front of them.  Jesus taught that those who repented and turned back toward their Father would be first in the Kingdom of God, while those who stubbornly resisted divine love wouldn’t understand the peace and joy that was theirs all along.

Think about the expectations we have for the way God shows up in the world.  Do we resist the peace God wants us to have because we think God should show up in our lives in a certain way?  Holding fast to expectations doesn’t allow for the mystery of God to unfold in our lives in the way God deems best.  We need to let God do his work in our lives because we can trust that whatever he is doing is for our good.  God may be working undercover in ways that are far beyond anything we could imagine.

May we let go of expectations that keep us captive to unhelpful thoughts about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Instead, may we be open to the mystery, love, joy, and peace of God.

I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

 

SPECIAL MUSIC

 

SERMON

Title

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?”  

24 But 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: 25 The baptism of John — where was it from? From heaven or from men?”  

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”  

And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”  

They said to Him, “The first.”  

Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward [a]relent and believe him.   

 

 

WHAT IS THE PASSAGE SAYING TO US?

 

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?”  

24 But 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:  25 The baptism of John — where was it from?  From heaven or from men?”   

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’  26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.”  27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”  

And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  

28 “But what do you think?  A man had two sons,

and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’  29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.  

30 Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.   31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”  

They said to Him, “The first.”  

Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward [a]relent and believe him.   

WHAT SHOULD WE TAKE AWAY from the passage?

  • I think we need to consider, first, the context (what happened before and what happened after) before we see the MAIN MESSAGE that we should take away.

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE what’s recorded in our text for today …

  • Matthew 21:1-5, 6-11 … Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem
  • Matthew 21:12-17 … Jesus cleanses the Temple
  • Matthew 21:18-22 … Jesus’ incident with the fig tree that withered

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER what’s recorded in our text for today …

Matthew 21:33-36

33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’  39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”  

41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease  his  vineyard to other vinedressers who will [g]render to him the fruits in their seasons.”  

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:  

‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?   

43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”  

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they [h] perceived that He was speaking of them.  46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  

It’s all about bearing fruit …

Remember the incident with the fig tree that was cursed …

Mark adds a very important detail, which Matthew didn’t …

  • Mark 11:12-14   Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”   And His disciples heard  it.    

Did you notice the additional detail(s)??

 

QQQ … from Barclay’s commentary on Mark 11: 12-14 …

(i) It is the condemnation of promise without fulfillment.  The leaves on the tree might be taken as the promise of fruit, but there was no fruit there. I t is the condemnation especially of the people of Israel.  All their history was a preparation for the coming of God’s Chosen One.  The whole promise of their national record was that when the Chosen One came they would be eager to receive him. But when he did come, that promise was tragically unfulfilled.

(ii) It is the condemnation of profession without practice.  It might be taken that the tree with its leaves professed to offer something and did not.  The whole cry of the New Testament is that a man can be known only by the fruits of his life.  “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16.)  “Bear fruits that befit repentance.” (Luke 3:8.)  It is not the man who piously says, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter into the Kingdom but the man who does God’s will. (Mattew 7:21.)  Unless a man’s religion makes him a better and more useful man, makes his home happier, makes life better and easier for those with whom he is brought into contact, it is not religion at all.  No man can claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ and remain entirely unlike the Master whom he professes to love.

So … WHAT CAN WE TAKE AWAY from today’s message?

  • Bearing fruit is important to God.
  • Bearing fruit is important … especially if we have the Holy Spirit.
      • Note Galatians 5:22-23

 

 

CLOSING SONG

 

CLOSING PRAYER

 

SHARING TIME

  • Re-launch of our Sunday church … being considered … for 1st Sunday in 2024  
  • Special church service … on Saturday, October 14 (the Saturday of the Heroes’ Day weekend) 
  • We want input from members and associates as we plan for 2024

 

BENEDICTION

 

 

 

 

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