GOD Morning! March 20 Boot Camp Day 13 / Who, Me?

GOD Morning!  March 20

Boot Camp Day 13

Who, Me?

Mark 12:1-27

Parable of the Vineyard Owner

12 Jesus began to speak to them [the chief priests, scribes and elders who were questioning Him] in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower; and he rented it out to tenant farmers and left the country. ² When the harvest season came he sent a servant to the tenants, in order to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ They took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Again he sent them another servant, and they [threw stones and] wounded him in the head, and treated him disgracefully. ⁵ And he sent another, and that one they killed; then many others—some they beat and some they killed. ⁶ He still had one man left to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷ But those tenants said to each other, ‘This man is the heir! Come on, let us kill him [and destroy the evidence], and his inheritance will be ours!’ ⁸ So they took him and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard. ⁹ What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.¹⁰ Have you not even read this Scripture:

‘The stone which the builders regarded as unworthy and rejected,
This [very stone] has become the chief Cornerstone
¹¹ 
This came about from the Lord,
And it is marvelous and wonderful in our eyes’?”

¹² And they were looking for a way to seize Him, but they were afraid of the crowd; for they knew that He spoke this parable in reference to [and as a charge against] them. And so they left Him and went away.

The landowner – represents God

The vineyard – His Kingdom

The tenants – specifically Israel’s religious leaders and all who reject Him

The servants – God’s prophets and faithful believers

The beloved son – Jesus Christ

Who am I in this parable? I’d like to think that I am a servant. But am I a hard working servant in the vineyard of souls? Or am I a lazy servant who only works in the vineyard on Sundays?

I just enjoyed the most incredible two days. Lois, my Pastor’s wife, and I made Easter costumes all day on Friday. While we worked, we watched Jen Hatmaker’s series, Pulling the Thread. I was convicted to do more in God’s Kingdom than I am currently doing.

Then Friday night started my Purpose Institute weekend. OMGoodness, Rev. John Putnam dug deep as He taught on Servant Leadership. Saturday morning began with Rev. Edward Herman. He taught on the condition of the heart. My dad, Rev. Johnny Russell, spoke about soulwinning. And Rev. Emmett Kaske finished with church history. Rich, rich teaching!

So on this 13^th day of 4AM4HIM Boot Camp, I am feeling like I need to visit with my friend Jennifer about the possibility of serving nachos one evening a week at the Revival Ridge Community Room again. Please say a prayer for me. When we served this community before, yes, it was a ton of work. But oh, so intensely rewarding!

“O God! I am afraid that I have been a lazy servant in Your kingdom. This weekend has culminated with the passage about the vineyard. I can pat myself on the back because I know that I am a servant. But then I have to ask myself a question. Am I a faithful, hard working servant? O God, I want to be found faithful! Please help me as I contact Jennifer. Please open up a time that we can use the community room. Please draw folks to us. Please work out every detail. Please send Your ministering angels, Your war faring angels and Your seraphim angels (in charge of salvation) as we work in Your vineyard. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, AMEN.”