Criminals in the Vineyard (Part A)

In the time of Moses of the time of Elijah continuous 3 billion in idolatry and apostasy occurred just as you guys could do this with my house but to serve the Lord like you guys are up to say you are right largely days of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, who was the last of the prophets to be martyred before the coming of John the baptizer, they were persecuted. It was persistent persecution is heaven sent prophets.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Mark chapter 12 as he starts a brand-new study called criminals in the vineyard gospel according to Mark. Have your Bibles please turn to Mark's gospel chapter 11 will take verses one through 12, verse one. Then he began to speak to them in parables, a man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine fat and built a tower and released it to find dressers and went into a far country vintage time. He sent a servant to the fine dresses that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vine dressers and they took him and beat him and send him away empty-handed.

Again, he sent them another servant and at him they threw stones wounded him in the head sent him away, shamefully treated and again he sent another and him they killed many others, beating some and killing some therefore still having one son, his beloved.

He also sent him to them last saying they will respect my son but those vine dressers said among themselves, this is the air, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard. Do you will come and destroy the vine dressers and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is Yahweh's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes and they sought to lay hands on him but feared the multitude they knew he had spoken the parable against them so they left him and went away criminals in the vineyard. Jesus of the at the Temple Mount. There he was confronted by the religious leaders and they challenged his authority by what authority do you do these things. They were talking about not only is teaching but is turning over tables and and and just rebuking them his entire ministry was a threat to them and he of course put them on defense in this verbal exchange.

He asked them questions that they were not ready to answer instead of just leaving it there. He intensifies his attack.

Use the vineyard metaphor from Isaiah 52 out there criminal behavior is a religious leaders but the criminals in the vineyard. As we just read the parable and so this sketch of them is quite remarkable. So again, don't lose sight of what's happening is teaching at the temple. They interrupt him. He asked them a question for you, answer their question. They could not answer it. Then he says let me tell you a story about you chaps lays it out and it is it is just brutal. If you're on the receiving end. They know it they knew it so much they wanted to kill him on the spot, but they could not begin to plan his death for daring to tell the truth about them. We can look at the story and say well in all that was the Pharisees and Sadducees. And that's how they were there. No, this is how people can be and are many times they are still people that react this way to the truth. You simply tell them the truth that they know and they turn on you Paul.

Paul had to do with you because I tell you the truth of my now therefore your enemy says this to Christian leaders and they were Christians but only with these people going in the opposite direction of God. They were committing criminal acts against God, you know, there are those adjusted not following God. There are others that are actually attacking God committing crimes. Both of them can damn your soul. This one this one stands out these crimes against God. And so Jesus depicts them as the criminals that they are in the parable trampling the laws of God trampling lives of people in real life outside of the parables load. In other words, is the reason why they were so offended because they understood this was not just a fairytale. This was not a story that we just read and dismissing going about our business that this was what they were doing. I struggled to understand this kind of behavior.

I think any rational mind struggles to understand it, but then we factor in the whole sin, sinful nature and and we begin, we have to accept it because it is true. This fact, what can make otherwise amazing human beings so inexplicably blind and violent in the face of spiritual truth, I'm human beings to some amazing things as humans go.

No other created being on earth can do what humans can do and yet they still can't figure out who the Lord is God even Isaiah the prophecy of donkeys can figure out where they belong. What's your problem. Well it is that an visible attack of the devil's influences are very visible devil is invisible himself with his work is not what they refuse to acknowledge.

If they refuse to acknowledge the Satan works he functions he does things to this day there are people that refuse to I mean how do you order it just an extreme example, how do you order a mob hit while you're sitting in church and not understand that there is a very real Satan and you are accountable to a holy God. What is wrong with people that think this way Christ else you know I don't want to be too occupied with why they think that way. I want you to give them the message from me to them through you and so we look at verse one now. Then he began to speak to them in parables like to reminded him of the story there behavior that reminds me.

The prophet Isaiah cover this, a man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the winds that built the tower and he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country. Our parable is not a riddle.

It is meant to be understood and they got it and so do we. Sometimes we struggle to get the parables because they are from from the ancient days of the way the lifestyle way penal.

How many of you have sown seed recently. For example, what they are. They are meant to be understood. This parable is not for the crowds that he was teaching and the other people there in the temple. It was particularly for the shepherds.

Those who were supposed to be leading the flock, and he says a man planted a vineyard, will God is the owner of the vineyard. He is the one establishing the vineyard. Israel is the vineyard in the parable it says and set a hedge around that would be the commandments and the blessings that come from them. Barriers against intruders. That's with the defense of the law. The rabbis would say it protects us and then he says, dug a place the wind that and build a tower. This is before power tools is a lot of work. This was an investment of labor and care he invested himself in to Israel. That's part of the story listening to the store, they would've understood that what it takes to make a vineyard like this and he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country, so he entrusted what he put all of this labor and care into the entrusted it to these men who were capable, they had the aptitude to oversee the vineyard and produce a profit. It was a good deal. It was be a good deal for everyone. The owner of the vineyard would would receive a percentage they would receive a rug of you know whatever was was left over to the larger share.

Jesus said this to Peter and he says it to all pastors.

He said to him, tend my sheep. That's what these leaders were supposed to do that in this parable missed remaining strict to the metaphor they were to attend the vineyard where the vineyard is Israel and the vine dressers were the shepherds his choice of the vineyard and the wicked people connected with it again. Taken from Isaiah chapter 5 will get to some of that about 30 seconds or less, but God saying to humanity I care and I have expectations. I'm willing to work with you but I have expectations and it will benefit both of us what God wanted from Israel was the cultivated grape with what he got was the sour grape, the less desirable one, and there was no excuse for this no good excuse for this. So now going to Isaiah 5 from where Jesus is drawing his parable, though he he make some adjustments in the air parable in the parable, because Isaiah stays focused on the vineyard is Christ. Of course, stays focused on the vine dressers themselves. It makes it very personal. Isaiah 5 verse two he dug it up and cleared out its stones and planted it with the choicest vine.

See, there's the cultivated item that should not bring forth sour grapes build a tower and it's missed also made a winepress in it, so he expected it to bring forth good grapes but it brought forth wild grapes… Our once a lesser grade verse four of Isaiah.

Five. What more could he have done to my vineyard but I have not done in it. You can hear the lamentation of God to Israel way back 700 years ago to the prophet Isaiah to the nation. What more could I have done to keep you from going to worship Val to keep you from going look for strength from some other source in the universe, witchcraft and other forbidden avenues. What more could I have done well.

He could send his son to die for sinners and he does do that and still God says to somewhat more could I have done.

This is the kind of thing we ought to preach when we are out when we leave the church we find ourselves out in the world.

We pray that God would send a someone to preach and have you ever heard about the parable of the vineyard that started in Isaiah did you know Isaiah is. He says what more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it. Why, then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes did it bring forth wild grapes so he's not saying this to them, but this is what he's building his parable from they knew this parable in Isaiah they knew exactly what he was talking about.

No explanation was necessary and that's why Mark is careful to make this remark at the end of it all. They knew he was talking about them.

Isaiah continues in the seventh verse of his fifth chapter 4 the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah are his pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression for righteousness. But behold, a cry for help those who were to receive help from the leaders of those that oversaw the vineyard they did not get the help. Consequently, this vineyard was handed over to the Gentiles for destruction. First, the Assyrians than the Babylonians. That same doom is to be repeated on Israel. The Israel that Jesus was now in at the hands of the Romans, and was going to come in stages going to be violent and it was all prophetic verse two.

He continues now Adventist time. Remember, he's telling the story as metaphor Adventist time he sent a servant to the vine dressers that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vine dressers was fair me. This was the agreement. The covenant that he had with them all that you watch over my field. You give me a percentage you keep the rest. Everybody has a job everybody has some income tenant farmers and again he's modifying the parable by focusing on the role of the vine dressers and not so much the vineyard is Isaiah same for both get to the same place is just how they do it and so what what does God want God wants loyalty wants to be loved in return.

But it was not to be, not by these people.

It would be by the church. Peter loved her. You know they all love the Lord not trying to say. Peter loved him more than the other.

But Peter is in the forefront we see Peter loving Museum of weeping bitterly because he failed one he loves so much.

God wasn't getting that from others. We come to church.

We sing songs we love the Lord will raise our arms up. We we we weep. Sometimes we just love the Lord, but there's so many people that that hate him and you want to say. Do you even understand what you are hating or are you just think that you can just hate indiscriminately.

You can treat God the way you would never want to be treated yourself which they would respond. They don't believe it.

What makes you think your book is right. It's a matter of interpretation how to if you really want truth. If you really want God he's going to know it and he's going to begin the work in your heart so that when you come across a Christian, you will receive, so that is quite revealing. Is it not, he continues here in verse three and they took him and beat him and send him away empty-handed well I guess that in the parable. If you try to pro apply some logic to the parable, he said well maybe the owner of the vineyard, so maybe they were just drunk that day something just most of you know this is not normal.

What right. What right had conveyed to beat anyone. None. That's what made them criminals, gangsters, that's who was overseeing the people of Israel with had it in church history. Almost all the posts were gangsters.

One was killed in the act of physical adultery. So this isn't something that's bizarre in the sense of history, it's bizarre to heaven to God. It is from the time of Moses to the time of Elijah continuous rebellion and idolatry and apostasy occurred just was that I don't think you guys can do this with Otis. My house is going to serve the Lord, but I think you guys are up to it. You say you are. He was right largely the days of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, who was the last of the prophets to be martyred before the coming of John the baptizer, they were persecuted. It was persistent persecution is heaven sent prophets. Matthew 23 verse 35 Jesus speaking. He says to these same people that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Beare Kia, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar, because you were listening to God listen to yourselves out for you in God's name is these vine dressers were in Hebrews, he says, of whom the world was not worthy. What makes them not worthy. Will their resistance to fact and true Stephen the first martyr of the church under full-blown anointing told him the truth about themselves and they killed and this is what he said.

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute his leg. Did they miss one. He said as Peter and Stephen still speaking and they killed those who foretold the coming of the just.

When I remembered Stephen as Jewish is one of them admit ethically speaking what is not one of them spiritually speaking. Stephen then said, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers.

Pieces of the just one whom you have become murderers and betrayers this stuff really happens is not like you are somebody's goofy my movies where you noticed that never happens. If that happened nearly watch the explosion and it just walking when the hair is flowing and is looking at a concussion would kill to close this really happened wickedness against God's messengers again. It's been persistent through the ages is now happening to us. What do we do what we do we stand up to them and tell them the truth. That's what no matter what were they like it or not what you get is you get to say you little perverted notions about me attacking charming the diabolical things that is are happening now are unprecedented. Maybe, maybe before nor when the world was all huddled together maybe go at Babel before the tongues were split but never globally there the world was centralized in one area. Everybody was there but the globe was uninhabited. Now the globe is pretty much there are no more frontiers and you get a steak dinner in Antarctica is just people have gone everywhere and taken their sin with them, but the perversity that were seeing nowadays Sodom and Gomorrah has gone global. And it has gone nuclear come back tomorrow that because it was so what are we doing it so we stand up with the gospel. We give him a message because, still within those numbers of perverted souls there are those that can be say our Bibles have blood on its pages.

That's what Jesus was saying which of the properties are milligrams Stephen with the Lord saying you know from able to Zechariah blood for preaching the truth in this parable he is the son as we stood and read the word, is the son that will be killed, and he knows it. That's a big difference. He knows then came John the Baptist's and when it was time for John to be martyred. The Jews really had no direct involvement in that but they look the other way when he was arrested and beheaded and they could have stopped it. They could've at least protested and they did not and now they going to plot the death of the son of God, for daring to practice what he preached.

That sounds like us today. Are we not persecute for daring to practice what we preach. How dare you disagree with me. I can speak my perverted notions, and you can protest what you can't speak righteous notions without severe punishment. Such is the history such of the facts.

Verse four again he sent them another servant and had him they threw stones wounded him in the head and sent him away, shamefully treated these, of course, in the parable of the profits from generation to generation. So it's not God sent A descent you know one profit in the days of Ahab. He sends Elijah. Annette said no that's not any send one for every generation is unbroken with as he always has his remnant. He always has his voice available and Israel knew it. And so this character here.

These characters here beginning in verse four and throughout this parable are his prophets entrusted with God's word to be God's voice. This is a microcosm of this is in Moses God said to Moses, you will be like God and Aaron will be like your profit. I will speak to you Moses and you will tell Aaron and Aaron will speak it. That's how God works.

He speaks from from heaven to the profit from the profit to the people. Exodus chapter 7 verse one so Yahweh said to Moses, see, I have made you as God to farrow and Aaron your brother shall be your profit You think that that is some sort of you know, evolution to deity in humans and you're out of your mind is not always going on, Moses would know nothing. Moses was not divine man cannot be divine, we can be Christ like. We will be perfected.

And like him in heaven, but we will never be God's that New Age nonsense so ridiculous. Let's move on. I mean that if if someone says you know they are turning to the just asked in the hover yet you divine you do also to stop, hover the camp and anyway is that stylish even better. Anyway, back to verse four them right from wrong, pointing it out. We know Isaiah says, you know, there are those that call evil good and good evil, and we are surrounded by then there's this infestation of them. Now move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick.

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