Talk Is Cheap, Obedience Is Costly

I had the privilege of being on his ordination council a couple years ago and have gotten to know him and see his love for the Lord and love just serving him.

! And so we've asked Brother Barry to come this morning and share with you what God has laid upon his heart here for us.

Like Pastor Smith said, my name is John Barry. It is an honor to be here.

And like you said, he was on my ordination council.

Probably one of the harder pastors to ask questions.

I'm not going to hold that against him, but anyways.

This morning, we're going to be over in Matthew chapter 21.

Matthew 21 · chapter mention

So we're going to go ahead and turn there.

I just wanted that to be great.

We're looking at talk is cheap and obedience is costly.

As we open this morning, there's a story of a father who shared something that happened when his son David was about five years old.

They attended a church where it was customary for the preacher to invite children to the front of the church for a brief message just for the children.

And on one particular morning, the pastor brought out a smoke detector and asked the children if anyone knew what it meant when that alarm goes off.

Without hesitation, David shot his hand into the air and said, it means dad is cooking dinner tonight.

You know, dads, they seem to be the punchline of a lot of jokes.

But not to be left out, a mother once asked her young son, why do you always do what your grandmother tells you, but you always argue with me?

Without missing a beat, he answered, well, that's because grandma does not tell me as much as you do.

And it's funny because there's a lot of truth behind that.

You know, we naturally, we resist being told what to do.

Whether it's parents, it's teachers, employers, or even God himself, our sinful nature does not like authority.

And for years, television shows, movies, commercials, they have increasingly portrayed fathers and mothers and other authority figures as incompetent, clueless, useless, unnecessary.

They're often the object of ridicule rather than respect.

And instead of being shown as wise leaders, they're depicted as obstacles that you should overcome or they're jokes to just endure.

And whether intentional or not, those repeated messages, they shape the way that society and the way that people think.

Respect for authority, it has steadily eroded in our culture, not just in the home, but in schools, in the workplace, in government, and even in churches today.

You know, we live in a day when many people, they don't want anyone telling them what to do.

Independence, it is celebrated.

Submission is criticized.

Obedience is often viewed as a weakness.

In this attitude, it's not a new one.

By the time we come to Matthew chapter 21, the religious leaders, they are openly challenging the authority of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 21 · chapter mention

Rather than just submitting to him, they are questioning him.

And in response, Jesus tells a simple parable about a father giving instruction to his two sons.

And on the surface, it just seems like a story, a parable about a family.

But in reality, it's a story about authority, obedience, and the difference between saying the right thing and actually doing the right thing.

And as we look at our section of scripture this morning, the issue in this parable, it isn't whether these sons knew what their father wanted.

Both of them knew what their father wanted them to do.

The issue was whether they are going to obey the father.

And that's still the question that God asks every one of us still today.

So if you haven't already, please turn over to Matthew 21.

We're going to look at verses 28 through 32 this morning.

It says,

But what think he?

A certain man had two sons.

And he came to the first and said,

Son, go work today in my vineyard.

But he answered and said,

I will not.

But afterward he repented and went.

And he came to the second and he said,

Likewise.

And he answered and said,

I go, sir, and went not.

Whether of them twain did the will of his father.

They sent him the first.

Jesus saith unto them,

Verily I say unto you that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness,

and he believed him not.

But the publicans and the harlots believed him.

And ye, when ye had seen it,

repented not afterward that ye might believe him.

So this parable,

it's not nearly as well known as, say,

the prodigal son or the good Samaritan,

but it packs a lot in these few verses.

It's short,

and it is relatively easy to understand.

But before we jump into

tearing this section of Scripture apart

and looking at what it has for us today,

we need to put the text in context

and see what's going on here, okay?

So it's now the last week

of Jesus' life here on earth,

and the religious leaders,

they're having kind of a final face-off

with Christ.

In particular,

they're challenging his authority.

Matthew chapter 21,

Matthew 21 · chapter mention

it begins with Jesus making his triumphal entry

into Jerusalem in verses 1 through 11.

Then you get to verses 12 through 17,

we have the story of him clearing out

the money changers from the temple.

In verse 15 here,

it tells us that the chief priests

and scribes,

they become displeased with him.

In the Greek,

the word displeased,

it's agoneteo,

and it means they were moved to indignation,

filled with anger,

annoyance,

or outrage,

sparked by something perceived as unfair,

unjust,

or unworthy,

and they are filled with this

when they see the wonderful things

that Christ has done.

In verse 15,

it also says,

and when they saw the children

crying in the temple

and saying,

Hosanna to the Son of David.

Now,

on the next morning,

in verses 18 through 22,

Jesus,

he curses the fig tree

and he enters into the temple again.

And while he is teaching here,

the religious leaders,

they challenge him

by asking him,

where does your authority come from?

And in verse 23,

it says,

by what authority

doest thou these things?

And who gave thee this authority?

And as Jesus often does

when dealing with these religious leaders,

he has said,

he asks them a question.

Let's look at verses 24 and 25.

And Jesus answered and said unto them,

I also ask you one thing,

which if you tell me,

I am likewise

will tell you

by what authority

I do these things.

The baptism of John,

whence was it?

From heaven or of men?

Now,

these religious leaders,

they are afraid

to give an answer

because the scriptures say

that they reasoned in themselves

that essentially Christ

has them stuck

in a lose-lose question.

Let's read the rest of verse 25.

And they reasoned with themselves,

saying,

if we shall say from heaven,

he will say unto us,

why did you not believe him?

But if we shall say of men,

we fear the people,

for all hold John as a prophet.

So they respond in verse 27

by saying,

we cannot tell.

All right?

Then Jesus says,

neither tell I you

by what authority

I do these things.

And verse 28,

it introduces our parable

for today.

And it begins

with another question

directed to these

religious leaders.

But what think he?

So we're going to look closely

at this parable

to discover

that what we do

is more important

than what we say

we will do.

So we're going to see

two contrasts here,

all right?

Two contrasts,

and we have

the first contrast,

we're going to look at

the very first son.

The father,

he has some work

that he needs done.

So he goes

to the first son

and says,

son,

go work today

in my vineyard.

I believe that there's

kind of a tenderness here

of the father

as he calls his boy son.

The father,

he loves his son

and uses an intimate term

here of endearment

that reveals

that he has a desire

for a close relationship.

This command,

it does carry with it,

though,

both authority

and affection.

He's not a tyrant,

authoritarian figure,

but he does tell his son,

go work.

This is a reasonable request

because there is work

to be done

and a child needs

to learn how to work.

And it's urgent,

go work today,

all right?

He doesn't say,

hey,

tomorrow go work

or,

hey,

when you can fit this

into your schedule,

go work.

And he says,

go work today.

And notice that the first son,

he answers abruptly

and very abrasively,

I will not.

Now,

I don't know about you,

but if my father said,

go work,

I said,

I will not,

I'd have to duck

because there'd probably

be a fist or two coming.

And pastor,

you know my father,

you know,

that fist is coming.

I mean,

I will not,

I'm not going to do this.

Now,

this is kind of a similar attitude

of the people in Jeremiah 44,

16,

when the prophet Jeremiah

is bringing judgment.

This is coming

and the people

in Jeremiah 44,

16 says,

as for the word

that thou hast spoken unto us

in the name of the Lord,

we will not hearken unto thee.

I will not.

After thinking about it

for a while,

though,

the son,

as you continue on in scriptures,

is afterward,

he repented

and went.

And the word repented here

means to care afterwards.

That is regret.

This son,

maybe he's thinking

about what he said,

maybe the way he said it,

what he did.

We see that he changes his mind

and he heads out

to the vineyard to work.

His change of mind,

it led to a change

in his manner.

Perhaps he regretted

his bad attitude.

Perhaps he regrets

the way that he talked

to his father.

Maybe he realized,

you know,

my father,

he loves me.

My father cares for me.

Maybe it's breaking through

his hard heart

that his father loves him.

We don't really know

exactly what happened,

but we do know

that he went

and he worked in the vineyard.

But now let's look

at a second son here.

The second son

is given the same command.

Son,

go and work.

The Bible says,

it says,

and likewise.

Son,

go and work today.

But instead of responding

disrespectfully,

he replies to his father,

I go, sir.

Verse 30,

he came to the second

and said likewise.

And he answered and said,

I go, sir.

On the surface,

this son is compliant.

He is respectful.

But we quickly realize

that he's just saying

what he thinks his dad

wants to hear.

He had no intention

of obeying

because we continue on.

And he answered,

said,

I go, sir,

and went not.

Failing to go

after promising to go

was actually worse

than refusing outright

because he had not only

disobeyed his father,

but he has also lied

to his father.

He called his dad, sir,

unlike the other brother

who just flat out said,

no, I'm not doing this.

Looking good

was more important

than doing good

to this second son.

The first son says,

I will not,

but he did.

The second son says,

I will go,

but he did not.

That reminds me

of an illustration,

but also something

I know every single person

here has probably done

at one time

in one way or another.

Derek was a strong-willed,

rebellious third grader

who was always getting

in trouble with his teacher.

One day,

he could not stay

in his seat

and was constantly

standing up

and walking around.

After numerous warnings

and threats,

the teacher finally told him

that if he didn't sit down,

he would not get

to go to recess.

Derek slumped down

into his seat.

The teacher walked

over and said,

thank you for listening

to me and sitting down.

Derek replied to the teacher,

I may be sitting down

on the outside,

but I'm standing up

on the inside.

These two sons

have two very different attitudes,

different answers,

different actions.

The first son,

though initially strong-willed,

he does go and work.

He was rebellious,

but he repented.

The second son,

he talked a good game,

but he just stayed.

He laid around the house.

He could talk the talk,

but he did not walk the walk.

So then Jesus asked a question

with an obvious answer

in verse 31.

Whether them twain

did the will of his father.

I'm sure these religious leaders,

they didn't really want to answer

because they would be

essentially condemning themselves,

but they say unto him,

the first.

These religious leaders,

they were always looking

for another question

that they thought would trap Jesus

and undermine his authority.

Yet every attempt

always backfired on them.

Jesus consistently

turned their own questions

against them,

exposing their hypocrisy

and leaving them speechless.

And instead of trapping Christ,

they always ended up

trapping themselves.

You would think

after so many failed attempts,

they would have finally

had just stopped.

Every time we try this,

it fires back on us.

But pride is a way

of convincing people

that they can outsmart God.

So looking at these two sons,

now we got to look at the point

of the parable here, okay?

There are really two different groups

represented by this parable.

Okay, let's look at verse 31.

Jesus saith unto them,

Verily I say unto you

that the publicans

and the harlots

go into the kingdom of God

before you.

So first, let's look at

the rebellious who repent.

Now, according to

the religious leaders

and their beliefs,

they believe that the publicans,

which would be tax collectors

and harlots, prostitutes,

they would have no part

in the kingdom of God.

Jesus could not have chosen

a much more offensive comparison

by saying that they will pass

the religious leaders

on the way to heaven.

The publicans,

they were viewed as traitors.

They were viewed as corrupt

because they worked with Rome.

And these publicans,

they made a living

skimming off the top

and cheating the people.

While harlots,

they were seen as morally unclean

and outside the bounds

of respectable society.

To the religious leaders,

neither of these two groups

were acceptable.

They were seen as the outcasts.

They were seen as the lowest rung

on the social ladder,

also the spiritual ladder.

God wants nothing to do

with these people.

But a quick side note,

I personally would not be surprised

at all if some of these

religious leaders

were making some extra money

on the side

with some of these publicans.

I would definitely not be surprised

if some of these religious leaders

knew some harlots

on a first-name basis.

But aren't you glad, though,

that no matter what you have done

or how long you have done it,

God's grace is available

to the worst of sinners?

Sinners like publicans.

For instance, Matthew and Zacchaeus

and prostitutes,

they responded to Christ

throughout his ministry.

I love what Paul said about himself

in 1 Timothy 1.15.

He had persecuted Christians

and put them to death.

You might think,

hey, that disqualifies him.

He was killing Christians.

But he writes these words right here.

This is a faithful saying

and worthy of all exception,

that Christ Jesus came into the world

to save sinners

of whom I am chief.

God uses the example

of the most extreme sinners

that we can think of

to show that his grace

covers all of our sins.

Just listen to Mark 2.16-17,

a section of Scripture

where we see the Pharisees,

publicans, and sinners

being referenced again.

And when the scribes and Pharisees

saw him eat with publicans

and sinners,

they said unto his disciples,

how is it that he eateth

and drinketh with publicans

and sinners?

When Jesus heard it,

he saith unto them,

they that are whole

have no need of the physician,

but they that are sick.

I came not to call the righteous,

but sinners to repentance.

If you feel like a failure today

because of maybe poor choices

you've made

or sinful actions,

and you've convinced yourself

that God could never

want anything to do with you,

here is the good news.

You are exactly

the kind of person

that Jesus came to save.

The kingdom of God

is open to all

who repent and believe.

And if you've been doing

the wrong way

for a long time,

it's not late to repent today.

No matter how far

that you have wandered

or how long

you have resisted him,

God is a God

of second chances.

If you'll come to him today,

he'll gladly accept you.

A man was told

how he spent years

arguing against Christianity online.

He would jump

into comment sections,

mock believers,

twist scripture,

pride himself

on winning debates online.

One night

after a long argument,

someone simply replied

with a verse and said,

I just want you to know

that I am praying for you.

The man couldn't shake that.

That night he opened a Bible,

not to learn from it,

but I'm going to finally

prove it wrong.

But the more he read,

the more unsettled

the man became.

Weeks later,

that same man

who once mocked scripture

was sitting in a church service,

Bible open,

tears in his eyes

because the word

that he had tried

to tear down

and broken through

finally has broken through

to this man.

There's a woman

who shared how

she used to

roll her eyes

anytime anyone

would talk about

their faith.

If a co-worker

mentioned church,

she'd just quickly

change the subject

or make a joke.

But after walking

through a personal crisis,

she found herself

remembering things

that she had once

just dismissed.

One evening alone

in her home,

she searched for a Bible

that she had been given

years earlier.

Sitting there,

she began to read.

And for the first time,

she wasn't reading

to criticize,

but to understand.

And before long,

the one who had

just brushed it off

was finally on her knees

asking God for mercy.

Now those might just be

some generalized illustrations,

but I've heard

many stories like that.

But those stories

reflect the reality

of what God

is still doing today.

For instance,

here at Plains Baptist Church,

I'm sure you have seen

people from every kind

of background

who have been saved

by faith in Jesus Christ.

You've probably witnessed

people here

who have come to Christ,

followed Him in baptism.

You support missionaries

who could tell you

story after story

of souls being saved,

lives being transformed,

and churches planted

around the world.

And all of that

is a living proof

that God's mercy

and grace

are not reserved

for a few religious elite.

They are freely offered

to all who come to Him

in genuine repentance

and in faith.

The beauty of God's grace

is on full display

in Ezekiel chapter 18,

Ezekiel 18 · chapter mention

21 through 23.

But if the wicked

will turn from all his sins

that he hath committed

and keep all my statutes

and do that which is lawful

and right,

he shall surely live,

he shall not die.

All his transgressions

that he hath committed,

they shall not be mentioned

unto him.

In his righteousness

they hath done,

he shall live.

Have I any pleasure at all

that the wicked should die,

saith the Lord God?

And not that he should return

from his ways and live?

The gospel is a story

of God turning sinners

into the redeemed children of God.

After giving a long list of sins,

Paul reminds believers

that their past

does not define them

in 1 Corinthians 6, verse 11.

1 Corinthians 6:11

Because it says,

and such were some of you,

but ye are washed,

but ye are sanctified,

but ye are justified

in the name of the Lord Jesus

and by the Spirit of our God.

The rebellious who repent

are the first group

that's represented here

in this parable.

But now let's take a look

at that second group

that's represented.

We have the religious

who rebel.

The first son,

he rebelled initially,

but the second son's response,

response,

it was just completely empty.

What we do

is more important

than what we say

we're going to do.

The religious,

they know the right reply.

They know what to say,

what to do,

but their lives

don't match up

with their lips

because their walk

is not connected

with their talk.

Listen to what Jesus said

in Matthew 15, verse 8,

Matthew 15:8

which is really just a quote

from Isaiah 29, 13.

This people draweth nigh

unto me with their mouth

and honoreth me

with their lips,

but their heart

is far from me.

Jesus even calls them out

in Matthew 23,

2 through 3,

saying,

The scribes and Pharisees

sit in Moses' seat.

All therefore,

whatsoever they bid you observe,

that observe and do.

But do not ye

after their works,

for they say and do not.

The majority of Christians today

they know what to say.

They know all the Christian lingo,

but they would rather play

than pray.

They would rather get than give.

They would rather be entertained

than exercise their gifts.

They would rather wine

than work in the Father's vineyard.

Friends,

it's not your religious reputation,

but it's your repentance

that matters.

Here's some tough questions

that we should really ask ourselves.

How many times have I sung words

that speak of obedience

and yet I did nothing to act

on that which I professed?

How many times have I promised

to pray for someone,

but I didn't do it?

How many times have I asked God

to lead me

and I just ignored His leading?

How many times have I told the Lord

that I would serve Him

when times are tough,

only to forget about Him

when times got better?

Listen to Matthew 21, 32.

For John came unto you

in the way of righteousness,

and ye believed Him not,

but the publicans and harlots

believed Him.

The religious,

they refused to believe

John the Baptist and repent.

The rebellious, on the other hand,

they heard what John had to say

and they were repenting.

Jesus then points out

that these religious leaders,

they should have been moved to action

by watching the transformation

that took place in the lives

of the rebellious,

but they remained unrepentant.

They wanted nothing to do with it.

So we read this

in the last part of Matthew 21, 32.

And ye, when ye had seen it,

repented not afterward

that ye might believe Him.

When we,

so this morning we took time,

we looked at these two sons

here in this parable.

We looked at the two groups of people

that they represent.

What we're going to do now

is we're going to take some time

and we're going to focus

on the Father in this parable

who represents our Heavenly Father.

It's really the Father's focus

and there's, I think,

five things we're going to look at

fairly quickly.

But here are some truths

that come to mind about the Father.

One, the Father is fond of you.

If you're a Christian,

He calls you son or daughter.

If you doubt God's love for you,

listen to these words

from Zephaniah 3, 17.

The Lord thy God

in the midst of thee is mighty.

He will save.

He will rejoice over thee with joy.

He will rest in His love.

He will joy over thee with singing.

The Father loves you.

Second, the Father's will

is that we work.

There is much to do in His vineyard

and we don't really have the option

of opting out.

Hey, I don't want to do this.

A person who claims to follow Christ

but refuses to serve others

is living a contradiction.

1 Peter 4, 10.

As every man hath received the gift,

even so minister the same one to another

as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

And maybe you're sitting there

thinking to yourself,

well, I don't know how to serve.

I don't know where to serve.

I don't know what it means to serve.

Just go talk to Pastor Smith.

I guarantee you,

he can find somewhere for you to serve.

All right?

Our third thing about the Father is

the Father,

He expects immediate obedience.

He wants us to work today.

Remember that parable?

He told both sons,

go work today.

Not tomorrow,

not next week,

not when it feels right to you.

Today.

Right?

Delayed obedience,

it's really just disobedience.

Hebrews 3, 15.

While it is said,

today if you will hear His voice,

harden not your hearts.

What we do is more important

than what we say we will do.

If you've never accepted Christ as your Savior,

today is the day to say yes to God.

2 Corinthians 6, 2 says,

behold, now is the accepted time.

Behold, now is the day of salvation.

Not tomorrow.

But also, if you're a believer

and you've quit working,

you know,

I've heard all the excuses.

I'm tired.

I'm worn out.

You know,

someone says something mean to me at church.

I've heard all of them.

If you've quit working, though,

it's time to get back to work.

Proverbs 27, 1.

Boast not thyself of tomorrow,

for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

James 4, 13 through 17 says,

go to now,

ye that say,

today or tomorrow,

we will give and,

we will go into such a city

and continue there a year

and buy and sell and get gain.

Whereas,

ye know not what shall be on the morrow.

For what is your life?

It is even a vapor

that appears for a little time

and then vanisheth away.

For that ye ought to say,

if the Lord will,

we shall live and do this or that.

But now,

ye rejoice in your boastings.

All such rejoicing is evil.

Therefore,

to him that knoweth to do good

and doeth it not,

to him it is sin.

We are supposed to do it immediately

and the Father expects it.

Fourth,

the Father is gracious

even when we don't go.

He loves to redeem failures.

This book

is full of failures

and he loves to use

and redeem failures.

2 Peter 3.9 says

that he will wait

until we repent.

The Lord is not slack

concerning his promise

as some men count slackness,

but is long suffering to usward,

not willing that any should perish,

but that all should come

to repentance.

Fifth,

the Father desires repentance

more than self-righteous

religious ritualism.

1 Samuel 15.22,

and Samuel said,

hath the Lord

as great delight

in burnt offerings

and sacrifices

as in obeying

the voice of the Lord?

Behold,

to obey is better

than sacrifice

and to hearken

than the fat of the rams.

God is not looking

for polished religion

while the heart

stays hardened

and stubborn.

He would rather see

a sinner humble themselves

in repentance

and obedience

than watch someone

go through all these

impressive religious motions

without any true submission.

real repentance

is not measured

by what we say

or how religious

we may appear,

but it's by a heart

that bows

to the Father's will.

What we do

is more important

than what we say

we're going to do.

And even though

the main point

of this parable

has to do with

our relationship

with our Heavenly Father,

I believe that also

that we can draw

out six parenting principles

from this story also.

Once again,

it's a small parable,

but it's filled

with so much for us.

Let's look at some

parenting principles

this morning.

Now, believe it or not,

first century parents

were faced with

many of the same things

that parents face today.

And as parents,

we need to put

these principles

into practice.

First,

talk tenderly

to your children.

The father,

he used the affectionate term

son

when he addresses

his boys.

You know,

it hurts me

to hear some of the things

that parents say

to their children.

My wife Rachel's here.

We have three daughters

that are down

with the children right now,

but there's many times

I'll text her and be like,

I'll be out with the girls

doing something.

I'll hear a father,

especially father,

say some things

to their kids.

I'll text her like,

can you believe

this father just said this

to their child?

And it hurts hearing

how these parents

talk to their children.

Parents,

and specifically fathers,

we have a

heavy responsibility

to not do anything

that would cause

our children to despair.

Ephesians 6, 4,

and ye fathers,

provoke not your children

to wrath,

but bring them up

in the nurture

and admonition

of the Lord.

Now,

I'll admit that

this is something

that, you know,

maybe sometimes

I can struggle with.

You know,

sometimes I just try

to just brush it off

by saying,

you know what,

I grew up as a boy,

raised as a boy,

you know,

that mindset of,

hey,

I'm going to push you

as hard as I can,

no blood,

no foul,

be tough,

man up.

I'm not saying

I didn't like that.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It made me into

who I am today.

And I appreciated

the way that I was raised.

And it worked very well.

But it is something

that I try to do better at,

especially with having

three little daughters.

It's to be tender

with my children.

Now, that doesn't mean

to be effeminate.

It doesn't mean

to be weak,

but to be tender

so that they won't resent

me as a father

and in turn resent

their heavenly father.

So we need to talk

tenderly to our children.

Second,

lovingly lead your family.

Now, I recognize

that many fathers

have fallen short

in this area.

And as a result,

there are many mothers

that have stepped in

to fill that gap.

And I am deeply thankful

for those godly mothers

and those grandmothers

who have stepped up

and they have embraced

that responsibility.

And we see a wonderful

example of this

in 2 Timothy 1.5

where Paul speaks

of Lois and Eunice,

a grandmother

and a mother

whose sincere faith

was passed on to Timothy

and helped shape him

from a very young age.

But I want fathers

to hear this very clearly.

You are the God-ordained

head of your home.

And God has given you

the responsibility

to bring up your children

in the training

and the instruction

of the Lord.

Mothers and grandmothers,

they may help fill that gap

and I and we thank God

for them.

But fathers must not surrender

the role that God

has given them.

You are called

to lead your family

as God intended.

Three,

you need to raise

your kids to work.

The father in this parable

had every right

to give work

to his sons.

We are a culture

that's kind of turning

into a culture

of laziness

and entitlement

where many feel like

everyone else

owes me something.

Chores are a good thing.

Lamentations 3.27,

it is good for a man

that he bear the yoke

in his youth.

Work teaches responsibility,

discipline,

perseverance,

and also service

to others.

A child who never

learns to work

often will grow

into an adult

who expects life

to revolve around them.

Parents,

parents do their children

no favors

by removing

every burden,

every responsibility

and every expectation

from their children.

Sometimes love,

it looks like

handing a child

a broom,

giving them a job

to do

and teaching them

you need to finish

what you have started.

So raise your children

to work.

Fourth,

teach your children

to respect those

in authority.

The second son,

he does address

his father

with respect.

We have to

help our children

learn how to do this

by having them

use titles like

Mr.,

Mrs.,

Sir,

Ma'am.

You know,

a little please,

a little thank you.

It can go

a long way.

But respect

doesn't just magically

appear in children.

It has to be taught.

It has to be practiced.

And the way

children learn

to speak to parents,

speak to grandparents,

teachers,

other adults,

authority figures

will usually carry over

into the rest

of their life.

Those things,

it might seem small,

but it does matter.

Simple manners

and respectful speech

that help fight

against the selfishness

and entitlement

that are so common

in our culture today.

Five,

expect immediate obedience

from your children.

Too many parents

are lax in this area.

But we see the father,

he says,

go work today.

Not tomorrow,

not when it works out

in your schedule,

not when you can fit it in.

He tells his sons,

today.

Children have an obligation

to obey,

and we must insist

that they do.

Ephesians 6,

1-3 says,

children,

obey your parents

and the Lord

for this is right.

Honor thy father

and mother,

which is the first commandment

with promise,

that it may be well with thee

and thou mayest live

long on the earth.

Obedience is not optional

in the home.

It is commanded by God.

And parents are not

helping their children

by allowing constant defiance,

disrespect,

or rebellion

to go unchecked.

One of the loving things

a parent can do

is to teach a child

to obey authority

while they are young.

Because a child

who never learns obedience

at home

is often going to struggle

with authority elsewhere

as they grow older.

Then we have our last

parenting principle,

don't despair

in the face

of disobedience.

Now some of you,

maybe right now,

have children

who are rebelling,

who are disobeying

right now.

Don't lose heart.

Keep praying,

keep loving on them,

keep praying for them,

and keep holding

on to hope

that your prodigal

will return soon.

In this parable here,

the first son,

he was openly defiant.

And we do see that eventually

he does repent

and he does obey.

The second son,

he looked compliant

on the outside,

but inwardly,

he was stubborn.

He was unwilling.

This reminds us

that parents

cannot always see

everything going on

in a child's heart,

especially immediately.

And God is still able

to work in ways

that we cannot see.

Now while I didn't

always practice

immediate obedience

growing up,

I'm thankful for everything

that my father taught me.

I watched my father

constantly.

I spent

probably more time

with him

than probably anyone

on earth right now.

No one has spent

more time with him.

Even now,

I'll say or do

some things around

the house

and my wife

or sometimes my daughters

will laugh at me

and say,

that sounds like grandpa

or grandpa does that.

But what they don't realize

is that many of those things

that I've learned

from my father

are things that he learned

from his father.

And that's a reminder

that the investment

parents make

in their children

often can show up

years later.

sometimes the lessons

that you teach,

the example

that you set,

and the values

that you model

take root deeper

than you realize

at the time.

Now in closing,

this parable

leaves us

with a simple

but searching truth.

God is not impressed

with what we say

we will do.

He is looking at

what we are actually

going to do.

That first son

got off to a terrible start.

I will not.

But he finishes well.

The second son,

he sounded right.

He looked right.

He spoke right.

But he never obeyed.

And that's where

this lands us.

It's possible

to sit in church

to say the right things,

to nod at the right moments,

to aim in

at all the messages,

and even intend

to obey someday,

yet never really

step into the vineyard.

Talk is cheap,

but obedience

will cost you something.

It's going to cost you

your pride,

but pride costs you

your comfort,

and it's probably

going to cost you

your plans,

but it is always

worth it in the end.

I'm going to ask

that you stand

and that every head

be bowed

and every eye closed.

I'm going to ask

musicians to come forward.

And before I hand

this invitation time

over to Pastor Smith,

I want to leave you

with this.

Maybe today

you see yourself

in that first son.

You've said no

to God in the past.

You have resisted.

You have delayed

or you've walked

your own way.

Here's the good news.

As long as there is

breath in your lungs,

there's still time

to repent.

There's still time to go.

The Father,

He is still calling.

The vineyard,

it is still there

and His grace

is still available

to you.

Don't let your

past rebellion

convince you

that it's too late

because it's not.

A changed mind

that leads to a changed life

is exactly

what God desires.

Or maybe if you're honest

this morning,

you're more like

that second son.

You have said

all the right things.

You look the part.

But deep down,

there's been little

real obedience.

There's no real surrender.

There's never really

been follow through.

Today,

the invitation is clear.

Stop just saying yes

and start actually living it.

The Father is calling you

to act today.

If you need salvation

this morning,

come.

If you need to repent,

come.

If you need to get back

to working in the vineyard,

come.

Don't leave here today

just being a hearer only.

Be a doer of the Word.

It's not enough

to nod our heads

in agreement

if we never put

God's truth

into practice.

Real faith is revealed

not merely

by what we say,

but how we live

and how we obey.

Because in the end,

it's not the one

who says,

I go, sir,

who pleases the Father.

It's the one

who actually goes.

So as we're about

to enter this time

of invitation,

now will be your time

to respond to the Lord's leading.

Let's pray.

Dear God,

thank you for this message

this morning, God,

in the parable

of the two contrasting people.

God,

we have the rebellious,

but we have the religious, God.

God, I'm sure

there's probably

someone here today, God,

that they're struggling.

God, they're like,

I know all the right things

to say.

I know how to act.

I know how to make everyone

think I am something

that I'm not,

and they're struggling

this morning, God.

God, I pray,

give them the power

to come forward, God,

and to lay that burden down,

to seek after you,

to, God,

not just be a hearer

of the word,

but to be a doer also.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

Amen.