RSVP-AN INVITATION TO THE KINGDOM BIKER BOY AND KHAKI BOY: PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD. PASTOR GLENN BARTEAU OCTOBER 19, 2008 1 Humor Matt 21:28-29 To make his point Jesus is going to use to humor. Sometimes people think Jesus didn t have a sense of humor he never laughed or told joke He s holy, but not very funny. I think nothing could be father from the truth. "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 29 " 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. {Greek} Matt 21:30-31a Breakfast Table First Son dressed food µεταµελθηαιs this word is similar to µετανοειτε, However, µετανοειτε is more of a think word. It could be translated change of paradigm. µεταµελθηαιs has more to do with how you care about something. I very good way to translate this would be a change of attitude. His attitude His attitude about life, his dad everything "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. 31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. You ve got to picture this the family is sitting around the breakfast table getting ready to start the day. Dad is getting his boys lined out for the day. He asks them to work in the vineyard. This first kid is a little surly He s dressed in black with a spiked dog collar around his neck a big lip ring He and his girlfriend have matching lip rings. He has holes in his paints, but not from hard work, but because he put them there as a fashion statement He looks up from a piece of cold left-over pizza that he s having for breakfast and says the vineyard. Long days, minimum pay move those barrels, prune the vines, carry these crates vineyard that vineyard? I don t think so! Then his body pierced, heavily tattooed girlfriend shows up on her Kawasaki Vulcan 1600. He hops on the back of his bike and rides off saying something about hanging out at the tattoo shop for the day. That s Biker Boy There s a lot of tension in the air So dad turns to his other son. ~ Have you ever noticed how when one of your children are acting up The other child can become compliant it s a little syrupy and sick Second Son dress Who s wearing freshly pressed flat front kaki slacks with a button linen shirt & leather dress shoes. He s like a walking advertisement for Banana Republic
food This boy this boy looks up from his bowl of Raisin Oat Brand carefully finishes the bite in his mouth wipes his mouth w/ a cloth napkin and says: 2 Did you mention the vineyard Sir? I mean the vineyard it would be an honor for me dad maybe not for some, but it would love to go to the vineyard. In fact just this morning, during my rather long and extended devotional time I was telling God how much I longed to go back to the vineyard. Yea Thunder and judgment come on this boy! Mom & Dad Mom & dad look at this boy a walking billboard for Banana Republic and say: Thank heavens for this boy, There s hope for the family name Hope for future grandchildren that won t be named spike, or bullet head Or hope for hosting a wedding reception at some place other than the Bashful Bandit. Not a breakfast table story But here s what you have to know this isn t a breakfast table parable. What happens at the breakfast table isn t nearly as important as what actually happens between breakfast and dinner. 1 st son Biker Boy Something happens after the breakfast table The surly kid has a little time to ponder things at tattoo shop maybe he loosens the dog collar around his neck He has a change of attitude ~ He thinks about dad his dad love and desire to be active in his life. ~ He thinks about all the blessing he has he adopts a more grateful attitude. ~ He thinks about the purpose and value he could have working in the vineyard with his father He compares life at the tattoo shop and life in the vineyard he changes his attude and the next thing anybody knows Biker Boy is hard at work in the vineyard. Imagine Dad The problem child of breakfast table will be a delight at the dinner table. 2 nd Son Kaki Boy But, guess who never shows up at the vineyard? Kaki Boy. Vinyard I love the vineyard, Sir work in the vineyard you can count on me dad Turns out Kaki boy isn t as genuine as he might have seemed. He was a delight at the breakfast table too bad this is a dinner table kind of story. Jesus is saying what matters most is not the image of being good or spiritual but actually doing what God desires.
3 Now Jesus applies this story to life Matt 21:31 Matt 21:32 "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" Did Jesus have to ask this question to make his point? No he s having fun with them. Jesus does an interesting thing. He uses John the Baptist to make His point. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. It s after breakfast and Kaki Boy is on his way to the mall to buy a new tennis sweater. And low and behold he drives by the vineyard on the way to the mall and he sees his brother working in the vineyard it s hard to believe Wow!!! That s amazing and then he just drives on to the mall. My concern isn t that many of us will turn whole sale from God and abandon our faith I m far more concerned that we live with an attitude that leads to Kaki Christianity. Or a mediocre faith where on the outside we look good, but on the inside their not much. Cultivate an Expectant Attitude Expect God to speak into your spirit, to interact in your life. Expect God to love you and bless you Expect God to fill your life with purpose and meaning. Sometimes we drift through life going through the motions of praying, going to church, saying the right things Jer Jer 33:3 In the O.T. there s a story about a guy named Jeremiah who lived in Jerusalem right before it fell to the Babylonians He drifted a little becasues it seemed like his efforts were for nothing God never listened to him. God asks him to buy a field which seems like a very bad investment if the Babylonians are simply going to take it away in the near future God is trying to say I m going to use this symbolically to let the people know that even though they will loose the land I will give it back to them someday. 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Cultivate a Grateful Attitude Jeremiah didn t always like what God did, Jeremiah couldn t always see what God was doing But that didn t mean God wasn t active in Jeremiah s life.
Phil 4:6-7 Kelly s Story Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. What I m not saying is: Pretend like the bad things in your life are good. No pretending Life with God is not about pretending. What I am saying is I don t want you to miss the blessing in life just because you have bad things going on as well. 4 Cultivate A Willing Attitude Family matter This next point I want to direct mostly toward all of us who think of this as our church family. If you are a guest listen in it may make you say, whooo never come back here, or maybe your heart will quicken God will use it to draw you in deeper. Kaki Xians Salt & Light Practical Our world has too many Kaki Christians Kaki Xians who talk a lot, meet a lot, and learn a lot, and talk about what learn But that s all breakfast table stuff In this community of believers you have a great purpose. We live out of the identity of being salt & light of this community. I want you to embrace that identity 1) It means that we seek and we long to find those around us who do not know God in a personal way we seek out the disconnected and those struggling to understand God. And we invest love, kindness, and encouragement. 2) It means inviting them to this place on Sundays Inviting them to come and see Kelly Kelly told me, friends would ask how are you making it why do you still go to church She said I would simple say come and see for yourself You come and see if God doesn t touch your soul speak to you, encourage you through this community of people. We long for people to ask us why we go to church Because We don t have to have a great answer just come and see for yourself. Last week Last week we saw scores of people come forward. This vineyard kinds of work! This happened because you as a church were willing willing to let God use you
One thing in common; Every person who came forward this past Sunday had something in common. They were invited Because one of you invited them 5 Here s what I m asking you to do pray for God to use you pray it with an expectant heart look and seek out those God is putting in your path who don t know Him, who are disconnect, or hurting and pray for God to create opportunities for you to invite them And then invite them to come and see for themselves. Anthony Campolo Story