TONIGHT!!!  MIDDLE SCHOOL GAME NIGHT!!!

Don't forget... Middle School game night is TONIGHT!!!  Meet at the church at 7:00.  Pick up at 9:00.  Bring a friend!
THE MAIN IDEA FROM OUR DISCUSSION ON WEDNESDAY (10/30)
  • Matthew 21:28-32
     
    • Double meaning joke. 
    • Tonight’s parable is a bit like that.  There’s a double meaning here.  So let’s jump in…
    • Jesus says… “What do you think?  A man had two sons….”
    • 1st Question-  Who is Jesus talking to?  What’s going on?  Let’s examine the context…  The context helps us understand the purpose!  (Especially in today’s parable)
    • If you go all the way back to the beginning of Chapter 21, we see the ‘Triumphal Entry’.  This is significant!  
    • Matthew 21:4-9
    • 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
    • 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
       humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
    • 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 
    • So this is the setting…
    • THE KINGDOM.  We’ve been talking a lot lately about ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’. 
    • What is the Kingdom? (The kingdom is where Jesus reigns/ In the hearts of his people)
    •  Pay close attention, because we are watching the ushering in of the kingdom.  The long awaited Messiah is riding into Jerusalem just as the prophesy said he would!
    • On January 20th with much pomp and circumstance our new President will be sworn in.  At that point he will take occupancy at the White House.  Because that is where our President resides!
    • Now, Interestingly…WHERE did this whole triumphal procession lead them to?
    • 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee. 12And Jesus entered the temple…”
    • They brought him to the temple!  The dwelling place of God!  The one place where God and man meet together.  Do you see how we are seeing the ushering in of the kingdom?
    • Now…What did the people EXPECT of the coming Messiah?  They expected a ‘Triumphal Entry’!  They expected that the coming kingdom would conquer and rule over Rome! (Even back then, they completely misunderstood ‘The Kingdom’.)
    • Now I want you to think about what it must have been like for Jesus to be ushered into the Temple (The dwelling place of God) only to find a bunch of people capitalizing off of God’s house.  And it made Jesus angry.  Check this out…
    • Matthew 21:12 “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.”
    • Jesus is saying… ‘No, no, no… there will be no obstacles coming between God and man!  Jesus is instituting HIS KINGDOM!  And in His Kingdom, peoples access to God has absolutely nothing to do with what you bring in sacrifice.  In the new kingdom, there is FREE ACCESS TO THE FATHER!  Check out vs. 14…
    • Matthew 21:14         
    • 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
    • As Jesus begins to institute the new rules in His new Kingdom, we see that 1st and foremost, there will be FREE ACCESS TO THE FATHER!  After making all of the religious leaders mad, Jesus proceeds to spend time with the least of these!  FREE ACCESS!  Then, check this out.
    • Matthew 21:17-19
    • 17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
    • So Jesus left and went outside the city.  Then it says in the morning he was heading back into the city and he got hungry.  So walking by a fig tree he reaches up to grab a fig for breakfast only to find no fruit on the tree.  With that, Jesus spoke a curse onto that tree.  You’ll never grow fruit!  And with that the tree instantly withered and died!
    • Now you might wonder if Jesus was particularly grumpy that morning or if maybe Jesus just really likes breakfast & really hates trees!  Neither, it really had nothing to do with the tree.  Jesus was once again giving His disciples a picture of what it looks like in the Kingdom. 
    • The cursed Fig tree was a picture.  (A visible parable for them) It was a sad sign of the fate of Israel.  God’s people, who should be bearing fruit, but were barren because of their rejection of the Messiah.
    • (Remember that we can only bare fruit if we are connected to the vine, Jesus.  John 15). 
    • As Jesus came to usher in His kingdom, the very people that he came to save rejected him!  And the warning of the fig tree was that the promised land (“The Kingdom”) would be given to a different people who were actually producing fruit!  Check this out…
    • Matthew  21:43  “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.”
    • So… After his encounter with the Fig Tree, Jesus heads back into town and proceeds to head strait back into the temple!
    • Matthew 21:23  “And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
    • So clearly the church leadership is still bent out of shape over what happened yesterday!  And they raged, ‘Who gave you the authority?’  So look at how Jesus responds…
    • Matthew 21:25-27
    • 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
    • Jesus is like… listen, the prophet John the Baptist told you all about me.  You didn’t listen to anything he told you, and so it’s not worth bothering with you!  So this is the setting and thew context of our parable…
    • The Parable of the Two Sons.  (Matthew 21:28-32)  I started off this evening with a double meaning joke.  And I told you that our passage tonight had a bit of a double meaning.
    • First and foremost, Jesus was speaking to the people of Israel and saying that they are just like that barren fig tree.  They are barren and without fruit.  They’ve rejected the vine!  The two sons are the Jews and the Gentiles.  One group openly professes their allegiance to God and yet DOES NOTHING.
    • The other son seemed like a lost cause!  He rejected the Father outright!  And yet, after further consideration, he responded to the Fathers’ request with obedience!
    • The parable of the Two Sons was a clear warning specifically to the people of Israel. Respond in obedience to your Messiah!  Bear much fruit.  But, just like that double meaning joke… There’s another meaning here, because Jesus is also speaking to us here tonight!  This was a specific Parable for a specific people, but as only God can do, there is a double meaning there.  Let’s go to our small groups and discuss what this parable has for us today.

  • Discussion 
    • Describe an experience when you got a late start on something.  How did that turn out?
    • Read the Parable Together
  • Matthew 21:28-32
    The Parable of the Two Sons
    28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
    • In this parable, Jesus tells his listeners about two sons.  How do their responses to the father illustrate how people respond to God?
    • This parable is certainly a warning to the people of Israel over their rejection of the messiah.  Jesus is also speaking through his word to us today.  What is the lesson of the parable of the two sons for us today?
    • Where do you see yourself in this parable.  Which brother are you most like?
    • What is the Father calling you to do?  Will you respond in obedience?
-BECOME A STUDENT MINISTRIES LEADER:
We are ALWAYS in need of adult student leaders.  The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few! If you've got a heart for kids and a heart for Christ, we would love to give you a place to serve! We need you!
-BECOME A PARENT PARTNER:
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"I can bring snacks", "I can give rides", "I can be a chaperone", "Just let me know what you need and I'll see if I can help!"
-JOIN THE SNACK SQUAD:
We are blessed with a growing youth group and we all know those teens love snacks! Sign up to bring a snack for youth group on one or more Wednesday nights this year!
It has been such a joy beginning the process of getting to know your students here at Creekside and I am humbled to be entrusted with the task of pointing them towards Jesus.  I realize when a church hires a new youth pastor, there is a natural tendency to think that they are here to work with the teens.  Whereas that is certainly a part of my role, mom’s & dad’s, I want you to know that I’m also here for YOU!  Parenting is no easy task, and as parents you will absolutely be the number one influence on your children and upon their spiritual formation!  As you seek to point your kids towards Jesus, please know that you aren’t in this alone!  If there is anything at all that I can do to support you as you shepherd your children, my door is always open!
Contact Pastor Chris at the church (907) 376-5576 or chris.vansiegman@creeksideak.com
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PARENTAL CONSENT FORM:
In order for students to participate in various youth activities throughout the year, we need to have a parental waiver on file for your student.  You can fill out the parental consent form here for your convenience.
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