Not for Sale — Ralph Sexton

Naboth’s Vineyard and the Inheritance of Faith

1st Kings 21 the Word of God reads. And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth and saying Give me thy vineyard that I may have it for a garden of herbs Because it is near unto my house and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it.

Or if it seemed good to thee I will give thee the worth of it in money. Now look at verse number three if you would. And Naboth said to Ahab The Lord forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of my father's unto thee.

Naboth Refuses to Sell His Inheritance

Verse four. And Ahab came into his house heavy and Displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him for he had said I Will not give thee the inheritance of my father's. And he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face and Would eat no bread.

That's a Bible way of saying he pouted. But here comes his sweet wife into the picture. But Jezebel his wife came to him and said unto him Why is thy spirit so sad? that thou eatest no bread. And he said unto her because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite and Said unto him Give me thy vineyard for money or else if it please thee I will give thee another vineyard for it.

And he answered I Will not give thee my vineyard. This is a powerful picture in first Kings as a had covets Naboth's vineyard. The king is Actually putting pressure on a commoner. The king the ruler of the land is Using his exalted power to crush the will of an everyday Earth farmer and to use the power and the prestige of his office to get the desire of his own heart and Selfish in its very being and purpose.

We realize as we read about Naboth's vineyard that he did not want to sell his vineyard. He did not want to Trade his vineyard. He wanted to keep it. And as you think about Naboth and his vineyard I believe there's a beautiful Bible picture for every believer to see and understand.

Restoring the Ancient Landmarks

When we look over This vineyard picture we can see a great comparison to what God has given us as a spiritual heritage. The very theme the very purpose the very Reason that we go into communities and have these area-wide meetings is for one Ultimate goal to remind people what we used to have and what we don't have anymore.

This is our theme. Proverbs 22 28 restore the landmarks. We won't back the ancient landmarks that we used to have in our communities in our homes and in our churches. The values and the ethics and the morals that made America great.

We don't like to discuss it, but we do have a Christian heritage in America. We don't like to bring up the subject, but we do have this great connection between the tenets of Judaism and the Ten Commandments that were passed down as The Christian faith was developed.

We have a heritage that is built not upon the words of men But upon the law of God as it was passed from one generation to the next generation as We assemble here this evening. We must consider what Naboth would not sell.

The Family Sacrifice Behind the Vineyard

Naboth's parents and grandparents Immediately came to his mind you say brother Ralph. How do you know that? Well notice what he said in verse number three. He said the Lord forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of my father's plural unto thee.

The first thing that Naboth thought of when the king and his royal chariot Rolled up to his little farm and a servant assisted Ahab into his vineyard and Said as Naboth walked out to greet the king and bowed himself and honored the visit of the king.

He said what can I do? Oh great King? What service can I render unto thee. And Ahab said what I want is your home. What I want is your vineyard. What I want is this piece of real estate to belong to me.

Naboth thought about that for a moment. He considered it and then you know what happened. He thought about his granddaddy and he thought about his own father and he thought about what it cost them to get that piece of land and Then he had the courage and he had the conviction to look into the face of the king and say sir God forbid That I would sell the inheritance of my father's.

Because when he began to think about it but he began to go down and address all of these things and look at them together with his a Conscious mind spinning upon how he got to where he was. He looked back through a few years of time and he saw his grandfather settling in that part of the country.

He looked back through time and he saw his granddad and if you've ever been to Israel. If you've ever been to that part of the world, you know, it's a very rocky land. It's very very rocky and he looked back and he saw his granddad Digging and trying to get up stones and carry them and to make a rock wall to hold any sheep and to hold in his goats and being to keep other animals out of what little crop he would grow and he saw his granddad sweating and Carrying and digging and working.

He began to think about all that had gone in to that piece of land. And then he saw his granddad not only building those stone walls, but he saw those first olive sheets. Those first little trees that his granddad carried down there into the field.

And he planted them in that barren soil and the only way they survived Was week in and week out month in and month out year in and year out. His granddaddy carried water and he poured water around those young olive trees and around those great slips as they started making a vineyard and Then he saw his granddaddy digging around those trees Digging around those vineyards and he saw him dunging around those trees and Dunging around those vineyards and he realized that what he had Even though the king of the land was standing in his vineyard.

The king had nothing to do with what he was enjoying. What he had was not because of a political leader. It wasn't because Somebody came by him and handed him a pot full of gold. It wasn't because he won the lottery or he had been Lucky with a deck of cards.

What he had was because someone loved him enough to invest in his future and a labor of love bought that piece of land and When he thought about his inheritance when he thought about the value that had been passed down to him.

He thought about his grandfather and his father his grandmother and his mother. He thought about the blood and the sweat and the tears that made that vineyard and Then he had the courage to look around at King Ahab With all his royal robe and all his royal splendor and with his big money bag Offering and shaking the rattling of gold coins in his face, and he said thank you, but no Thank you.

It's not for sale. I don't want to sell my vineyard. I've got an inheritance of values. I've got a hard work in my blood line. I've got character in my family. I've got commitment up my family tree. I've got love and dedication.

I've got resolve and determination and you can't buy that with a pocket full of gold. I know you're the king and with all due respect Mr. King, you can't buy my family's values. You can't buy my inheritance.

Ahab’s Offer of Convenience

It's not for sale. Well, they talked for a moment. They have thought maybe he hadn't made himself clear. So a have explained it in verse 2. He said give me thy vineyard and he looked at Naboth and knew he must question.

With all the king's holdings with all the real estate. With all the property with all the places the king could go. Why on earth did he want Naboth's vineyard and so the king answered his ordinary question.

He said that I may have a garden of herbs. He said I want to take a productive Vineyard that's growing olives and grapes. I Want to take a vineyard that's making food to go on the table and I want to turn it in to a garden of herbs.

Now only a rich man can afford a garden of herbs. Because you can't eat herbs. Herbs are for seasoning and flavor and aroma to the nose. They're extra you see that's not something you don't come home from work and say boy I can't wait to have a big steak of parsley.

I Can't wait for my wife to just fix me a big pot of clothes. Boy, that's not what you're after when you come in from work. You want her to have a big pot of greasy cut short beans on the stove? With a slab of fat back in there and you want a thin Take a cornbread in the oven and you want some green onion tops and lettuce.

And we'll knock down with grease and and you want some sliced cucumbers and tomatoes and some new Potatoes out of the garden and a little sourwood honey to decorate some of those Cathead biscuits that you use to push those greasy cut short beans with to load up your fork.

You don't want a bowl of parsley and a little clothes. You want something that will stick to your ribs. But when a have came by he wanted to make a trade. He wanted to trade off something that could sustain you.

Something that could hold you. Something that could feed you. He wanted to trade it off for something that look good and smell good and Tasted good but when the chips were down and your stomach's growling and you need something to hold you together and To get you to work.

It can't do you any good. It's just a little flavoring and a little seasoning. It can't give you the strength to make it through. Boy that devil sharp. The devil is sharp my friend because he'll get people to trade off their spiritual vineyards over at the house of God.

He'll get you at your little family to trade off the spiritual things that you have in your home. The morals the values and the ethics. He'll get you to trade it off for something slick for something we call Situation ethics.

It's the herbs and spices of modern-day religion. He'll get you to trade off the blood and the book for something that looks good and feels good. But it doesn't aggravate you when you're out there and seeing because it's not real.

It's not of God. It's something of man a devil always Tries to give you something a little garden of herbs. But notice what else the devil offered him. King Ahab said. It is near unto my house. It is near unto my house.

The Temptation of Convenience

Do you know what that means? King Ahab wanted this man's farm. Simply out of convenience out of convenience. He was rich enough that he thought he could buy anything He wanted that's why he went home and pouted.

He always got his way. I'm the king if I wanted I get it. You mean I can't have it. Oh and he went home and he pouted. He was a spoiled brat. He always got his way and when he didn't get his way he went home and pouted.

Why did he tell Naboth he wanted it because it's near to my house. Convenience, you know what the devil always tries to do when you want to serve God. When he when you want to get right with God. When you want to have revival.

Is it convenient for us to be out here in this high humidity tonight? Is it convenient for us to be sitting on these old revival steel chairs? Is this nice and convenient? No, I'm gonna tell you something.

It's not convenient. It's not it would be a lot more convenient for me tonight to be in an air-conditioned house. Sitting in that easy rider with low slung up and my feet halfway up and music bringing me a burps Ikola and and a piece of a bologna sandwich and me sitting in the living room singing.

This is like heaven to me. Huh? Right, but if sometimes when you want to have revival, you got to hang on to what you've got started. You got to clear you off a spot and say it may not be convenient. But Jerry we're going to hang on to it.

Anyway, we're going to hang on to what God's given us and we're gonna fight for what God started. And so the devil came by. Oh Ahab said why don't you make a deal look behind gate? Number two door number three.

And. Let's make a deal. Let's spin the wheel of prosperity. I'll do something for you. You can't do for yourself. But little old neighbor thought about it and he said I know it's convenient for your big team.

But I'm going to tell you something. I still don't want to sell out. So a half kept pressing the point and he said I will give thee the worth of it in money. Did you notice that? He said I'll give it the worth of it and money.

Money Cannot Purchase Spiritual Heritage

It amazes me what people will sail for money, I'm going to tell you something.

Money will not last a.

Vineyard can be worked and feed a generation. Pass down to the next generation and feed that generation and pass to the next generation and feed that generation. But the money Can be used up and consumed on a weekend's folly and be gone.

The money can be lost on a bad business deal. But that piece of real estate that land that farm can stay there until the Lord comes back. Because you're not going to move it. And so the devil said neighbor.

I'm just gonna buy you out. I'll give you money for it. And I'm going to tell you tonight money is nice. But money cannot buy happiness. Money cannot buy a peace of mind. Money can't buy you from the terrors of the night.

Money can't buy your sanity. Money can't buy the salvation of your children. Money can't buy revival in your church and Naboth realized that there was more to life than money. You can sell your vineyard.

You can sell your inheritance. You can sell your morals and your values and your ethics, but when you're all alone. You'll not like yourself. When you're by yourself in your bedroom looking in the mirror and you realize what you've traded off for what you used to have.

You won't be happy with yourself. When you're shaving in the morning and there's no one to talk to you. But the mirror when you realize you've sold your good name and your reputation and your character.

You won't be happy with what's there? Teenager when you listen to the old devil Ahab when he walks by you at the party and says let me trade you your virginity for popularity. Let me trade you the pleasures of sin for a season so the crowd will like you.

I'm going to tell you it's a bad trade teenager. It's a bad deal. Ahab can't do anything for you. I'm gonna Tell you from the bottom of my heart tonight that I believe America is bankrupt morally. I We're going to get it back is for God's people to lead the way in repentance.

Do you know why that teenagers and young adults were stealing and rioting in Los Angeles? I'll tell you why because we're morally bankrupt and moms and dads drove them down to the district and went Looting with them because they sold their vineyard.

They sold their character. They sold it out for a few pairs of tennis shoes and some leather jackets and some stereo Televisions. Hey, they traded it off and we're paying the horrible price in our country.

You say? Brother Sexton, I don't believe it's that bad. Well, then you go to Kmart or Walmart and you try to cash a check if you think we've got character and Ethics and your word is your bond go try to cash a check.

Go try to pay for something with a check nowadays when you walk in to try to use a check. They want two forms of identification. They want a major credit card. They want a photograph. They want a fingerprint you they want your next of kin.

They want the promise of your firstborn male child. Hey, I'm talking about we've traded it off. This is the same country that we borrowed monies to build railroads and factories and mines and to build farms and men walked in and shook hands with the banker and Said I'll pay you back and he said I know you will not even signing a document on a handshake and Some bookkeeper wrote it down in a ledger and tens of thousands of dollars was borrowed and paid back.

Because men had character and their word was their bond. But we sold out our vineyard of character someone sold us out. Someone played with the most sacred thing. We had our values and our ethics and our character.

The Devil’s Promise of a Better Vineyard

You see and the devil made another deal. Oh, I have said if you give me your vineyard I'll give thee for it a better vineyard. Now that statement always amazed me when I read that in the Bible. What does a have know?

About a vineyard. He's a king. He's a politician. He's sitting there in the throne room. He's he wouldn't know a Kenny Beck potato if it made. He Doesn't know a big boy tomato from a better boy. He wouldn't know a honeydew melon from a cantaloupe.

He's a city slicker and there he is walking in telling this country boy. If you'll give me everything you've got I'll go pick you out something better. Anytime the devil starts trying to trade off you watch out.

The devil can't trade to you what he don't have and He doesn't have anything better than what God's already given you. God gave you his darling son The Lord Jesus Christ and you're not going to get any better than Jesus.

To build a better vineyard. You've got to know rootstock. You've got to know how to Transplant. You've got to know how to make graphs in a vineyard. You've got to know how to cut the rootstock and a grafted and then to seal it and to wrap it.

Ahab doesn't know a graph. He'd have a peach limb stuck in an apple tree. He wouldn't know the difference. Because he's never been around it. And when you are out here trying to serve the Lord. Trying to do right as a believer trying to follow the Word of God.

Trying to be honest with your fellow man. Sure, there's some charlatans. Sure. There's some bad apples in the barrel. Yes, there's some hypocrites, but that doesn't solve my Responsibility to a holy God one day.

I'm going to meet God one day. I've got to give an account to Jesus. And I can't point this way or that way. He's going to look at me and say Ralph Sexton. What'd you do with the vineyard? I gave you.

It's my responsibility. Jesus is the real solution to the problems of life that we face. Naboth had to think he had to draw back and and Roll up the brow and say how can Ahab give me better? What does the king of this world know about the vineyard that I work in?

Remembering the Heritage of Faith

Not only do we have Ahab's offer, but we have Naboth's consideration. Naboth remembered how he had obtained the vineyard. He remembered his father working in the vineyard. He remembered as a little boy Being in the house with his mother.

He remembered how it felt as a little boy To be there and want to go out in the garden out in the vineyard and work with his dad. And so when he was too small to go work in the vineyard. He would stay in the house with his mother and his mother would tell him over and over again The family heritage and the family birthright.

And she would tell him about how granddad settled that piece of land. His mom would tell him about how hard they worked to clear the land and how when his dad was a Teenager he helped his grandfather carry stones those very stone walls that protect the vineyard.

His mother told him about his heritage. She told Naboth the importance of the vineyard. She said son we can't eat without the vineyard while the olive provides food for trade. It provides fuel for our lamps.

It provides medicine for the healing of our bodies. It's the very life sustainer. We use the olive and the grapevine to keep this family going. And she talked of its importance and Then she told Naboth about the sacrifices.

She told him about the night the sandstorm came and buried the young plants and how the next morning her and the husband got out on their knees and they dug in the sand and Rescued those baby plants how they carried water to keep it going.

What does it remind you of it reminds you the day when they rode into these mountains on? Conestoga wagons and they had nothing but a long rifle a broad axe and a King James Bible and said We're going to build us some communities.

And they took those broad axes and they fell trees and they built them a little house a cabin. And the first thing they built in their little communities was a church house. Hey, they had to dig down and scratch it out with their bare hands.

They had to hold on to their heritage and then they got enough money and people that they fell some more trees and they Made them a schoolhouse to teach their children. But the primer wasn't my friend some new ager the primer Wasn't some humanist why they taught him to read and write out of the Word of God.

They taught him that the first part of being a good citizen Was to be a Christian and to honor God and to keep his commandments. Hey, that's what Naboth mama talked to him about. She said son we didn't get here without blood without sweat and without tears.

And she reminded him of the sacrifice and boy. She said Don't you ever forget that one day if God should perish one day son. This vineyard will be yours one day you'll have the responsibility. Do you not remember as a kid if you went to church as a child or a teenager?

Then have you Sunday and then say one day this will be the church of tomorrow. Well tomorrow is here and you're the church now. What are you going to do with the vineyard that God gave you? Then I can't help but think that one day the harvest came and they were close to losing the crop and everyone had to get involved and I believe may box mother tied that little toddler around her waist and Said you're going to have to go with mama.

We're going to have to go help your daddy and your big brother. We're going to have to go out here and help everybody's got to help we're about to lose the crop the grapes are coming in and I believe she went out there and started working those vines and Started helping and I believe as she worked and reached up and pulled and cut I believe grapes Crushed in her hands.

I believe juice Crammed down her arms and little old a boss down here and every now and then she'd reach up and that juice drop off and hit him in the face and He'd taste that and should pull the hull off and she'll reach down there and give little name off the goodie.

Huh? She'd give him the inside of that grape and put it in his little mouth and let him Suck the juice out of that and he said hmm. This is what we're working for. This is what we're living for. This is the fruit of the vineyard and he got a taste of it at an early age.

He found out it was real. He found out it wasn't counterfeit. He found out it wasn't Kool-Aid. Hey, he found out it was genuine. It was the real fruit of the vine and boy went away have had him cornered up with his power and money.

And said will you sell your vineyard or I'll pick you out a better one. Little old a boss came back to his mind. He thought yeah, I remember the little baby. I remember my first taste of the fruit of the vine and he smacked his lips and he felt his blood.

Right resinous veins and he said mister Mr. King, I want you to know I've been you're not for sale. Hey, it's the real food. It's the fruit of the vine and I'm not gonna sail it. Oh Naboth. He remembered he replied and then he resisted.

He said matter-of-fact King as long as I live I'm not gonna sell my vineyard as long as I live I'm not gonna trade off my heritage as long as I live I'm not gonna give away what God's given to me. It's not for sale and he thought about it and he said the more I think about it the more I fall in love.

With what the bloodness of sweat and the tears of my ancestors cost me. He said I'm not gonna sell it and as we gather under this old tent tonight We ought to reflect about Naboth and his vineyard. Gotta think about Ahab having a type of the devil.

Oh, we ought to determine that we're gathering here. But for one reason to remember our landmarks. Remember what God gave us and we ought to feel our blood. Rise up to their veins and say will not sail out to the devil's crowd.

We'll not roll over and play dead it will stand and having done all to stand. We'll not give it back. We'll not give it up. We'll not sell it out. We'll know no rate at all. We want to be in the service of the king for as long as we live.