PROPERLY APPROACHING PRIVILEGE-VI—Matthew 21:33-46
OR:
A CHRISTIAN APPROACH To (American)PRIVILEGE
Need:
Christians, like many Americans, can center their Privilege & Pride upon illegitimate sources.
Thru this parable, Jesus highlighted/clarified a proper approach to a God-ordained privilege.
There is a Proper(Christian) Approach to Privilege.
What is a Proper/Christian Approach to Privilege?
Or
How should Christians approach their God-ordained privilege?
9 approaches to American privilege.
We have previously discovered that we must
Approach our privilege with...
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT(:33a)
2. RELIABILITY/Trustworthiness(:33b)
3. AVAILABILITY(:34)
4. HUMILITY(:35-39)
5. SENSIBILITY(:40-41)Logic/Reasonableness
6. BUILDING(:42)Edification
7—Approach your privilege with...
A PARTICULAR & PERTINENT PRODUCT(:43)
Explanation:(:43)Productivity/Production/Crops/Particular
:43—“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you & given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”
I almost chose the word ‘production’ or ‘productivity’ rather than ‘product.’ Because I was afraid some of you might equate ‘production’ or ‘productivity’ with merely ‘being busy’, which it is not! The ‘Product’ of ‘production’ is fruitfulness by God & for God, thru Christ Jesus!
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you...”
Jesus pointedly told them that true to the application of the above parable, “the kingdom of God” would be taken from them[the current spiritual leadership/Representative of the state of the Nation of Israel].
The Kingdom of God is always an offer!...It can be refused or accepted.
Though they saw themselves as God’s children, they very effectively denied it.
2Tim. 3:1-5—“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
None of those attributes are born of God or godliness. They are born of flesh. That is why we are instructed to turn away from them!
They denied their potential as God’s children, by preferring their own directives & direction, over those of God. They were disobedient to God’s directives & direction though they had the appearance of obedience in the outward manifestation of their religion.
“Therefore”—dia touto—=‘Through this’
“Say”(See :41, 45; :38—epw)—legw—Verb—1) To say, to speak—1a) Affirm over, maintain, 1b) To teach, 1c) To exhort, advise, to command, direct, 1d) To point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say, 1e) To call by name, to call, name, 1f) To speak out, speak of, mention. Strong—a primary verb; properly--To "lay" forth, i.e. figuratively--Relate (in words [usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while rew is properly, to break silence merely, & lalew means an extended or random harangue]); by implication--To mean.
“You”2X—umin—Pronoun Dative 2nd Person Plural—1) You. Strong—irregular dative case of umeiv[irregular plural of su; you(as subjective of verb)]; To(with or by) you.
“Kingdom”—basileia—Noun Fem.—1) Royal power, kingship, dominion, rule—1a) Not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom, 1b) Of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah, 1c) Of the royal power & dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom; 2) A kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king; 3) used in the N.T. to refer to--The reign of the Messiah. Strong—properly, royalty, i.e. abstractly--Rule, or concretely--A realm(literally or figuratively).
“Taken/Taken away”—airw—Verb—1) To raise up, elevate, lift up—1a) To raise from the ground, take up: stones, 1b) To raise upwards, elevate, lift up: the hand, 1c) To draw up: a fish; 2) To take upon one's self & carry what has been raised up, to bear; 3) To bear away what has been raised, carry off—3a) To move from its place, 3b) To take off or away what is attached to anything, 3c) To remove, 3d) To carry off, carry away with one, 3e) To appropriate what is taken, 3f) To take away from another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force, 3g) To take & apply to any use, 3h) To take from among the living, either by a natural death, or by violence, 3i) Cause to cease. Strong—a primary root; To lift up; by implication--To take up or away; figuratively--To raise(the voice), keep in suspense(the mind), specially--To sail away(i.e. weigh anchor); by Hebraism[compare asn[to lift]]--To expiate sin.
“...& given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”
The Landowner(God) will give the “Kingdom of God” to a “nation”/people which will produce the “fruit” which the landowner is seeking...The “fruit” of God’s kingdom.
The entire Kingdom of God is given/offered & can thus be taken!
This “nation” to which God promises “the kingdom” does not necessarily have political boundaries, although different political boundaries can house God’s people in differing ways. An entire political entity may attempt to make the LORD their God(Ps. 33:4-15) & thus set up it’s laws from such commitment.
Ps. 33:4-15—“For the word of the LORD is right, And all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness & justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, & it was done; He commanded, & it stood fast. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.”
God is looking for a particular & pertinent product...One that glorifies Him at all times.
“Given”—didwmi—Verb—1) To give; 2) To give something to someone—; 3) To give—3a) To cause, profuse, give forth from one's self—; 4) To grant or permit one—4a) To commission. Didwmi denotes “to give” in general, opposite to lambanw “to take”; dwreomai specific, “to bestow, present”; didwmi might be used even of evils, but dwreomai could be used of such things only ironically. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb(which is used as an alternative in most of the tenses); To give(used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection).
“Nation”—eynov—Noun Neuter—1) A multitude(whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together—1a) A company, troop, swarm; 2) A multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus—2a) The human family; 3) A tribe, nation, people group; 4) in the OT--Foreign nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles; 5) Paul uses the term for Gentile Christians. Eynov in the singular is a general term for nation, applied to any nation, even to the Jews. In the plural it ordinarily denotes all mankind aside from the Jews & in contrast with them, the Gentiles. Strong—A race(as of the same habit), i.e. A tribe; specially--A foreign(non-Jewish) one(usually by implication, pagan).
English=‘Ethnic(-ity)’
“Bearing/Producing”(See :36—“Did”; 40—“Do”)—poiew—Verb—1) To make—1a) with the names of things made--To produce, construct, form, fashion, etc., 1b) To be the authors of, the cause, 1c) To make ready, to prepare, 1d) To produce, bear, shoot forth, 1e) To acquire, to provide a thing for one's self, 1f) To make a thing out of something, 1h) To put one forth, to lead him out, 1i) To make one do something; 2) To do. Poiew denotes "to do", prassw - "to practice"; poiew to designate performance, prassw intended, earnest, habitual, performance; poiew to denote merely productive action, prassw definitely directed action; poiew to point to the action result, prassw to the scope & character of the result. These words are often used interchangeably. Strong—apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; To make or do(in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“Fruits/Fruit”(See :34, 41)—karpov—Noun Masc.—1) Fruit—1a) The fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields, 1b) The fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity; 2) That which originates or comes from something, an effect, result—2a) Work, act, deed, 2b) Advantage, profit, utility, 2c) Praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering, 2d) To gather fruit(i.e. a reaped harvest) into life eternal(as into a granary), is used in figurative discourse of those who by their labors have fitted souls to obtain eternal life. Strong—probably from the base of arpazw[to seize]; Fruit(as plucked), literally or figuratively.
Argumentation:
Mat. 13:3-9, 18-23—“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; & the birds came & devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; & they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, & because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, & the thorns sprang up & choked them. But others fell on good ground & yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”—:8—“But others fell on good ground & yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”.....“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, & does not understand it, then the wicked one comes & snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word & immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, & the cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, & he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word & understands it, who indeed bears fruit & produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”—:23—“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word & understands it, who indeed bears fruit & produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Mat. 8:5-13—“Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come & heal him.” The centurion answered & said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, & my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ & he goes; & to another, ‘Come,’ & he comes; & to my servant, ‘Do this,’ & he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, & said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east & west, & sit down with Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping & gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; & as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.”
This obviously refers to the intended “sons of the Kingdom”(the Jews) who refused their appointment by refusing Jesus/the Son/Messiah/Christ.
Eph. 2:4-10—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Titus 2:11-14—“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness & worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, & godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope & glorious appearing of our great God & Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed & purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Illustration:
We were traveling to take our son, Sam for orientation at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC(basically the entire town is the school)/We were passing thru Sylva, NC, on US Business 23/We came to a stop light & turned left onto NC 107 S. toward Cullowhee/But...Immediately after we made the corner, the car’s forward torque quit completely!—The transmission was dead!/We were able to drift into the center turn lane out of major traffic, & then got help from some the police & other good people to push it into an adjacent parking lot/One of the officer’s contacted a wrecker/As we waited, Mom & Sam got to ride to Western with Sam’s girlfriend’s parents, who stopped as they were going to the WCU orientation also/I stayed behind in Sylva waiting for a A PARTICULAR & PERTINENT PRODUCT—The Wrecker!
Working with a new boss or manager who changes the manner in which things are done/You are used to doing things a certain way—you like it, & are comfortable with it/A PARTICULAR & PERTINENT PRODUCT
Are you a producer of discord or joy?
Sam’s new job/He works with medical doctors who work ‘together’ in their own practices/Sam is there to increase production & cut costs/He says that the major part of his job is not financial at all, but counseling grown medical doctors who will not ‘get along’ with each other, because each of them(even though under the same broad umbrella of their company) wants to do things ‘their own way’/A PARTICULAR & PERTINENT PRODUCT
Jesus used the misapplication of God’s intent—as did the chief priests, scribes, & Pharisees—for a positive end. He used the failure of others as illustrations to bring enlightenment & strength to others...even for those who provided the negative examples!/That’s why the preacher or teacher gets lambasted & railed at by certain individuals...They receive the example personally rather than spiritually. Thus the personal aspect pushes the direction.
If you cannot preach, or teach, or make objective decisions due to particular personalities in your church, class, or meeting, then you have fallen victim to fear...& cronyism-nepotism-favoritism will replace the fullness of the Good News of Jesus! Thus Good News will be conveyed, But THE Good News in Christ Jesus will not be conveyed!/A PARTICULAR & PERTINENT PRODUCT
Application:
?YOU Approach Privilege with A PARTICULAR & PERTINENT PRODUCT?
?How do YOU Approach your Privilege?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Approach your privilege with...
7. A PARTICULAR & PERTINENT PRODUCT(:43)
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT(:33a)
2. RELIABILITY/Trustworthiness(:33b)
3. AVAILABILITY(:34)
4. HUMILITY(:35-39)
5. SENSIBILITY(:40-41)Logic/Reasonableness
6. BUILDING(:42)Edification
Pt.#7 only! presented 09/17/2017am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
