WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.300 --> 00:00:02.000 You may be seated. 2 00:00:08.300 --> 00:00:09.400 In the name of Jesus. Amen. 3 00:00:12.100 --> 00:00:16.200 The text for this sermon is the Gospel lesson just read. 4 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:23.700 Last year I learned about a teaching idea called the Structured 5 00:00:23.700 --> 00:00:29.000 Reading Group. A structured reading group is a small group of students 6 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:33.700 who take turns with different roles as they read and discuss 7 00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:35.000 assignments. 8 00:00:35.700 --> 00:00:41.500 So there is a discussion leader and as the title suggests this person 9 00:00:41.500 --> 00:00:45.200 is supposed to lead the discussion and make sure that everyone is 10 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:46.600 engaged and on track. 11 00:00:48.100 --> 00:00:51.900 Another rule is the creative connector. 12 00:00:51.900 --> 00:00:58.300 This person is supposed to help everyone to see how some key idea some 13 00:00:58.300 --> 00:01:03.500 thought in the reading connects to other big ideas that they're 14 00:01:03.500 --> 00:01:03.900 studying. 15 00:01:05.800 --> 00:01:08.700 A third roll is the devil's advocate. 16 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:14.000 This person is supposed to cast doubt on the assumptions or poke 17 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:19.700 holes in the arguments or offer alternatives to the conclusion. 18 00:01:21.600 --> 00:01:25.000 And a fourth roll is the passage master. 19 00:01:26.300 --> 00:01:32.300 This person is supposed to select a passage or two which is very 20 00:01:32.300 --> 00:01:34.600 important to the entire reading. 21 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:40.300 Now if I were in a structured reading group. 22 00:01:41.800 --> 00:01:44.900 If the reading where the Gospel of Matthew. 23 00:01:46.600 --> 00:01:49.300 If I were the passage master. 24 00:01:51.300 --> 00:01:55.300 Then I would be sure to choose this text. 25 00:01:56.300 --> 00:02:01.500 In fact, if I could only choose one I would choose this text. 26 00:02:02.900 --> 00:02:08.400 And the reason is, this passage is the gospel in a nutshell. 27 00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:16.900 This passage summarizes, captures the essence of the Gospel According 28 00:02:16.900 --> 00:02:17.700 to St. 29 00:02:17.700 --> 00:02:18.000 Matthew. 30 00:02:19.600 --> 00:02:24.400 If you get this passage, right you get the Gospel, right and you get 31 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:25.300 Jesus, right. 32 00:02:26.900 --> 00:02:30.600 But if you get this passage wrong, then you'll probably get the Gospel 33 00:02:30.600 --> 00:02:33.700 wrong and then you'll miss Jesus. 34 00:02:37.200 --> 00:02:40.900 Now, you could take my word for this and honestly, you're probably 35 00:02:40.900 --> 00:02:42.700 should but I won't insist. 36 00:02:48.700 --> 00:02:51.300 Jesus is telling a parable hear another parable 37 00:02:51.300 --> 00:02:53.200 he tells the people there. 38 00:02:53.200 --> 00:02:55.800 Especially the chief priests and the leaders of the people and the 39 00:02:55.800 --> 00:03:01.700 Pharisees. Hear this. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard he 40 00:03:01.700 --> 00:03:03.000 put a fence around the whole thing. 41 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:08.300 He dug out of wine press he built a tower and he got himself some tenants. 42 00:03:09.300 --> 00:03:13.300 And when the time came he sent some servants to get his share of the 43 00:03:13.300 --> 00:03:13.700 fruit. 44 00:03:14.900 --> 00:03:18.900 But the tenants beat one servant, killed another and stoned a third. 45 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:24.400 So the landowner who wants to share the fruits sends more servants, but 46 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:25.500 the same thing happens. 47 00:03:27.200 --> 00:03:28.600 He wants his fruit. 48 00:03:28.600 --> 00:03:30.800 So he sends his son. 49 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:33.400 He reasons he's my son. 50 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:35.000 They'll respect him. 51 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:39.300 No, they won't. When they see the sun coming 52 00:03:39.300 --> 00:03:40.100 they think to themselves 53 00:03:40.100 --> 00:03:42.000 let's kill him. 54 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:46.300 We kill him will probably get his inheritance all this will be ours. 55 00:03:46.300 --> 00:03:49.400 So they take him out of the vineyard and they put him to death. 56 00:03:51.400 --> 00:03:55.500 Now that point Jesus then asked those who are listening. 57 00:03:55.500 --> 00:03:58.300 What do you think that landowner is going to do? 58 00:03:59.600 --> 00:04:04.000 He's going to put those bad people to a bad end and then he'll lease 59 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.200 it out to some tenants will give him his fruit. 60 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:14.700 Then Jesus asked haven't you ever read the scriptures don't you read the 61 00:04:14.700 --> 00:04:14.900 Bible? 62 00:04:16.500 --> 00:04:20.200 What does it say The Stone the builders rejected has become the 63 00:04:20.200 --> 00:04:20.500 cornerstone. 64 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:25.600 The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes. 65 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:28.900 And then he makes the point. 66 00:04:29.900 --> 00:04:34.800 Therefore I tell you the kingdom of God is going to be taken away from 67 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:38.700 you and it's going to be given to people who will produce its fruits. 68 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:45.500 Anyone who falls over the stone is going to be broken to pieces. Anyone 69 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:48.000 on whom the stone falls will be utterly crushed. 70 00:04:52.900 --> 00:04:57.700 At that point the chief priests and the Pharisees understand. 71 00:04:57.700 --> 00:05:00.500 They know Jesus is talking about them. 72 00:05:00.500 --> 00:05:09.400 If they had there way they would have taken him and cast him out but they feared the crowds who believed that Jesus was a prophet. 73 00:05:12.400 --> 00:05:14.900 This is the gospel in a nutshell. 74 00:05:16.400 --> 00:05:20.900 The landowner is the God of Israel and the tenants are the people of 75 00:05:20.900 --> 00:05:25.200 Israel and the servants are the prophets and the Son is Jesus Christ 76 00:05:25.200 --> 00:05:25.700 himself. 77 00:05:29.400 --> 00:05:33.500 God put his people in a vineyard and expected them to produce 78 00:05:33.500 --> 00:05:35.500 righteous fruits. 79 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:40.600 And he called on the prophets to collect this righteous fruits, but 80 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.300 they would not. They met with abuse. 81 00:05:44.300 --> 00:05:48.700 They met with threats some were killed and some were stoned. 82 00:05:51.100 --> 00:05:56.500 Jesus himself believes this. Jesus himself knows this. Jerusalem, Jerusalem 83 00:05:56.500 --> 00:05:57.500 you who 84 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.300 kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to you. 85 00:06:05.200 --> 00:06:11.500 And Matthew implies all this in the genealogy and he embodies it with 86 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:14.000 John the Baptist the last of the prophets. 87 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:16.100 What does John preach? 88 00:06:17.400 --> 00:06:19.200 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 89 00:06:20.700 --> 00:06:24.400 Don't bother to say yourself we have Abraham as our father because you see 90 00:06:24.400 --> 00:06:27.400 these Stones God can make children Abraham right out of them. 91 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:31.000 The axe is at the root of the trees. 92 00:06:32.700 --> 00:06:36.300 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is going to be cut down and 93 00:06:36.300 --> 00:06:37.900 thrown into the fire. 94 00:06:41.900 --> 00:06:43.000 But what happened to John? 95 00:06:44.700 --> 00:06:48.500 Like Jesus said they did what they wanted with him. 96 00:06:50.100 --> 00:06:51.000 He was killed. 97 00:06:53.900 --> 00:06:54.900 And now comes Jesus. 98 00:06:56.200 --> 00:07:00.900 With the same message repent for the reign of the heavens is at hand. 99 00:07:01.900 --> 00:07:03.500 With the same instruction 100 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:07.100 produce, bear good fruit. 101 00:07:07.100 --> 00:07:10.300 Otherwise, you'll be cut down and thrown into the fire. 102 00:07:15.300 --> 00:07:17.000 But what happens to Jesus? 103 00:07:18.400 --> 00:07:24.200 Do they listen? Do they hear? Do they repent believe obey? 104 00:07:27.500 --> 00:07:31.200 The chief priests the leaders of the people the Pharisees and the 105 00:07:31.200 --> 00:07:34.200 Sadducees they want nothing to do with Jesus. 106 00:07:35.400 --> 00:07:38.200 At that moment they would have laid hands on him and throw him out, 107 00:07:38.200 --> 00:07:42.000 but they needed a few days and they got their way. 108 00:07:45.100 --> 00:07:48.100 Jesus suffered and died on a cross 109 00:07:49.800 --> 00:07:53.200 because he was the Son of God. Because he came preaching repentance 110 00:07:53.200 --> 00:07:56.300 because he came calling for 111 00:07:57.200 --> 00:07:59.400 good fruit, good works. 112 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:03.000 And Israel would not do that. 113 00:08:06.200 --> 00:08:08.200 But the stone the builders rejected 114 00:08:10.200 --> 00:08:15.800 became the cornerstone. God raised Jesus from the dead that was his 115 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:16.300 doing. 116 00:08:17.700 --> 00:08:19.400 This is the day which the Lord has made. 117 00:08:23.100 --> 00:08:24.100 And what happened? 118 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:27.000 The kingdom was taken away. 119 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.500 It was given to all nations. 120 00:08:30.400 --> 00:08:33.500 As the risen Lord, Jesus says all authority in heaven 121 00:08:33.500 --> 00:08:37.100 and other than Earth has been given to me make Disciples of all 122 00:08:37.100 --> 00:08:37.900 Nations. 123 00:08:37.900 --> 00:08:46.300 Jesus came to save his people Israel from there sins. Jesus came and 124 00:08:46.300 --> 00:08:49.800 dealt with Israelites. When a woman comes to him 125 00:08:49.800 --> 00:08:51.300 hailing him as the Son of David. 126 00:08:51.300 --> 00:08:55.500 He says I didn't come for people like you I came for the lost sheep of 127 00:08:55.500 --> 00:08:57.100 the House of Israel. 128 00:09:00.900 --> 00:09:04.800 But in the end the kingdom that he announced and the kingdom that he was 129 00:09:04.800 --> 00:09:07.500 bringing is for all. 130 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:12.600 And so in first case 131 00:09:14.100 --> 00:09:18.300 this Gospel is good news for you. 132 00:09:19.700 --> 00:09:26.000 For all who have heard, for all who have believed for all who have repented and been baptized. 133 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:31.100 For all who call on the name of the Lord. For all who seek to 134 00:09:31.100 --> 00:09:34.000 do his will and to follow his ways. 135 00:09:35.300 --> 00:09:42.900 The kingdom of God is yours and all the blessings of almighty God as 136 00:09:42.900 --> 00:09:49.100 the Father as the loving Father will be forever yours. 137 00:09:49.100 --> 00:09:53.000 This indeed is good news for you. 138 00:09:56.200 --> 00:10:01.000 Now some of you might be wondering is this really the Gospel in a 139 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:01.000 nutshell? 140 00:10:04.600 --> 00:10:09.300 There are a few of you probably think no, but let me assure you, 141 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:10.900 it is. 142 00:10:13.300 --> 00:10:14.200 Why? 143 00:10:15.700 --> 00:10:20.300 For some of you it is this isn't what you grew up with. 144 00:10:21.900 --> 00:10:26.300 It isn't it isn't in our hymnals, it isn't in our catechism. 145 00:10:26.300 --> 00:10:28.800 It's not in their dogmatic textbook. 146 00:10:28.800 --> 00:10:31.200 This kind of thing gets overlooked there. 147 00:10:32.700 --> 00:10:33.700 But it is in the Bible. 148 00:10:36.700 --> 00:10:38.000 Its not just in the Bible. 149 00:10:39.400 --> 00:10:40.700 You read the Gospel of 150 00:10:41.900 --> 00:10:47.900 Matthew and it's the Gospel of Jesus Christ the son of David the Son 151 00:10:47.900 --> 00:10:51.700 of Abraham, Israel's Messiah the king of the Jews. 152 00:10:56.200 --> 00:11:00.000 The angel says to Joseph you'll give him the name Jesus for he will 153 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.300 save his people, Israel, from their sins. 154 00:11:04.900 --> 00:11:06.900 When he sends out his disciples. 155 00:11:08.700 --> 00:11:13.800 Don't go to the Sarmatians. Don't go to the Gentiles. Go to the lost 156 00:11:13.800 --> 00:11:15.500 sheep of the House of Israel. 157 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:20.300 Like I said before with a Canaanite woman I didn't come for you. 158 00:11:24.900 --> 00:11:27.900 But Israel rejected him and he died. 159 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.300 Now the other people here 160 00:11:34.300 --> 00:11:35.600 are in the first case 161 00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:38.400 the sinners. 162 00:11:39.300 --> 00:11:42.800 In the parable Jesus had just told about the two sons. 163 00:11:42.800 --> 00:11:46.600 He explains that the tax collectors and a prostitute they're going on 164 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:48.300 into the kingdom ahead of you. 165 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:56.500 And that's the way if you read Matthew's Gospel, it goes. If you read the 166 00:11:56.500 --> 00:11:57.300 genealogy 167 00:11:57.300 --> 00:12:02.600 of course you read the men the father's well, it's Abraham, Isaac, Jacob 168 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:08.500 and the like. But there are four women in that genealogy too. It's not 169 00:12:08.500 --> 00:12:09.000 Sarah. 170 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:10.100 It's not Rebecca. 171 00:12:10.100 --> 00:12:11.100 It's not Rachel. 172 00:12:12.500 --> 00:12:18.100 Tamar who played a prostitute. Rahab who was a prostitute. 173 00:12:19.300 --> 00:12:24.900 Ruth a Moabites's. And someone whose name cannot be written the wife 174 00:12:24.900 --> 00:12:25.700 of Uriah the Hittite. 175 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:31.200 Now the good news is for people like that, too. 176 00:12:32.200 --> 00:12:35.800 Who was this the line of those women or the next woman he mentioned 177 00:12:35.800 --> 00:12:36.900 Mary. 178 00:12:39.300 --> 00:12:41.800 Who are the first people to come and worship Jesus? 179 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:45.400 Magi from the East. 180 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:49.400 Who's the first person we 181 00:12:49.400 --> 00:12:52.900 read about Jesus healing, the leper someone unclean. 182 00:12:54.400 --> 00:12:58.000 Who does he praise for their faith right after that a centurion. 183 00:12:59.700 --> 00:13:01.600 He calls Matthew a tax collector. 184 00:13:03.100 --> 00:13:06.300 Oh, you can see as Matthew tells the story. 185 00:13:06.300 --> 00:13:06.700 Yes. 186 00:13:06.700 --> 00:13:08.400 Jesus came for Israel. 187 00:13:10.400 --> 00:13:16.000 But yes blessing could be and blessing would be for all who call on 188 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:17.300 the name of the Lord. 189 00:13:22.400 --> 00:13:26.900 The kingdom of God is yours, but don't take it for granted. 190 00:13:29.100 --> 00:13:34.300 If the chosen people were expected to produce righteous fruit then so 191 00:13:34.300 --> 00:13:35.600 are you. 192 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.600 Be people of holiness. 193 00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:45.000 Be people of goodness. 194 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:50.400 Don't overlook those in need but have compassion. 195 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:55.900 Don't resent those who have success or who prospered would be glad for 196 00:13:55.900 --> 00:13:56.200 them. 197 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:02.700 The people you don't understand 198 00:14:03.700 --> 00:14:04.500 try. 199 00:14:11.400 --> 00:14:12.000 With those 200 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:14.200 who anger you 201 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:16.300 forgive. 202 00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:22.400 For those you wrong. 203 00:14:24.500 --> 00:14:25.800 Just apologize. 204 00:14:27.100 --> 00:14:28.500 Don't justify yourself. 205 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:34.400 Be people 206 00:14:36.100 --> 00:14:40.600 worthy of the goodness in the Grace has been shown to you. 207 00:14:42.300 --> 00:14:46.000 From the God of Israel and through his Son Jesus Christ. 208 00:14:47.800 --> 00:14:49.100 Who is the Lord of all. 209 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:53.900 Who is your Lord and your Savior. 210 00:14:54.900 --> 00:14:56.200 In the name of Jesus. Amen. 211 00:14:59.100 --> 00:15:00.800 We rise to sing the hymn.