Be Authentic

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.

Matthew 21:28-32

Jesus isn’t just talking about being obedient, he’s teaching us all about authenticity. Who you listen to says a lot about who you are, what you believe says everything about what you stand for.

The Pharisees at the time questioned Jesus, because they believed they were obeying. But Jesus is teaching them the following:

• How can you obey if you don’t believe?

• How can you believe if you don’t take this seriously?

In order to know and understand Jesus, we have to take his word seriously. To be a man/woman of God doesn’t mean to be religious. It means to KNOW Jesus.

If you know Jesus, and you believe in Him, it will be a lot easier to obey his word.

We have to decide what type of Christian we want to be? One who knows Jesus, or one who doesn’t know him at all.

PRAYER

Prayer for Christians to be active and intentional with their belief.

Salvation prayer.

(If anyone wants to take God more seriously, invite them to our services, to an Exodus, help them find a devotional and study it with them.)