The Vineyards Owners Rights — Don Wilkerson

Message is one of the Times Square pulpit series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing to world challenge PO box 260 Lindale, Texas 75771 or calling two one four nine six three eight six two six.

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Please to Luke chapter 13. Luke 13, I'll be using King James Version tonight. I want to speak to you tonight about the vineyard owners rights the vineyard owners rights. Luke 13 It says there were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifices and Jesus answering and said unto them Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things.

I Tell you nay, but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish. Or those 18 upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell and Slew them think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem. I Tell you nay, but except ye repent Ye shall all likewise perish.

He spake also this parable is at the same time a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and He came and he sought fruit thereof and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none.

Cut it down. Cut it down. Why come birth it the ground? Why is it take up space on the ground and He answering and said unto him Lord. Let it alone this year also till I shall dig it and dung it and Then if it bear fruit well, and if not Then after that thou shalt cut it down.

The vineyard owners rights as I was preparing this message I Had on my my dining room table a New York Times and I saw the front page story Yesterday, I believe was yesterday One of the front page stories and this was the headline it said and perhaps you read about this Fiery crash kills 27 in Kentucky as youth as truck and use bus collide and The story began and I'll read just the first paragraph and I quote Federal investigators today began looking into a fiery collision Late Saturday between a pickup truck traveling the wrong way on an interstate highway.

There was a it was a man was drunk and A bus returning from a church outing for somebody who got church 27 passengers on the bus were killed and I believe there was some more there on the critical list as I read that story.

I thought about what I had read here in Luke 13 as some Jews had come to Jesus to ask also about tragedy several tragedies and Why the tragedies had taken place in. One case Pied had slaughtered some Galileans who were Who were right in the middle right in the midst of their own worship?

And offering of their sacrifices and he murdered them and he mingled their blood with the blood of the sacrifices. The other case was that of a tower. This was it was an accident a tower in the village or a town of Salome.

It fell accidentally killing 18 people. Now the Jews wanted to know because they always believed that there was a connection between sin and suffering and they apparently wanted to know what or or if Jesus also believed that the Galileans that were murdered and The tower accident victims if they were not being punished because of their sin.

In other words, they were saying well, they were getting their just dessert. They must have done something wrong to deserve this and were these Jews alive today? They probably would have asked the same question about that tragedy that terrible tragedy in Kentucky.

Now in answer to their question Jesus says and twice he says that after they asked him about the Galileans or he himself Mentions it in verse 3. He said I tell you nay But except ye repent ye shall also likewise perish and again after the the incident about the accident The tower he follows it up again.

He says but I say to you nay, but except ye repent Ye shall likewise perish. You see Jesus did not really deal with the matter as to whether or not the two Disasters were the judgment of God when he said nay.

He was just Not really answering their question. But he was dealing with a larger and more important issue and that is individual responsibility an Individual sin and the need for each individual to be ready for a judgment that is to come.

You see a lot of people are just like those Jews they believe that man is punished only in this life and If somebody dies or is killed or meets a tragedy they assume That life is over and that individual's fate was to die in that manner.

Others have the philosophy like some of the passengers, you know on that plane in Hawaii Aloha Airlines where the roof was ripped off and Miraculously the stories were told of how some who thought they were going to die one man wrote out a note to his family and so forth.

Miraculously, they were saved. I think only a stewardess was killed and some others were injured. But some who landed they had they said this in essence. This is what they said. Well, we must be doing something right?

We must be living, right? God must be on our side. Now Jesus teaches the Jews and he wants to teach us That a man's final fate is not whether he is killed in a tragedy or saved from a tragedy. Our final judgment is determined by this all-important truth.

Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish. In other words, Jesus tells these Jews don't judge the Galileans judge yourself. Don't look at those 18 accident don't consider those victims to be worse off than you.

If you don't repent you will perish just like them. You see the main purpose of such startling events Such as highway tragedies or fatal accidents or death by disease or death by AIDS or whatever. The main purpose is to arouse us to individual Responsibility to arouse Individuals and society at large to a recognition and to repentance of their own sin.

Jesus says that we are not to look at events in this world as the final judge and jury of a man's Actions it is the world to come that determines punishment. We would lose our faith in a righteous God altogether if this world was the only stage on which his purposes are worked out and Jesus is teaching here that we come to the wrong conclusion if men are taught to look only now for the outcome of a man's deeds and fail to see that there comes an appointed time and revelation of the righteous judgments of God and Jesus wanted those Self-righteous Jews to know that just because a tower did not fall on them to think that they would escape judgment.

You see a wicked man follows his wicked ways. So long as he seems to escape disaster or he doesn't get caught. Or he goes on cheating as long as he's not punished or he ignores God and thinks that he's blessed.

He'll be cruel. He'll be dishonest and he'll follow his own evil schemes and As a result if he doesn't get caught if punishment doesn't come he eventually Will turn darkness into light even thinking that the gods have smiled upon him and yet all the while not realizing that he's on a road to hell that he doesn't even believe in and To this man if it be you tonight Jesus says I tell you something.

Except you repent ye shall all so likewise perish. You don't get away with anything with God. Ecclesiastes the 8th chapter listen to it. Don't turn to it. Listen as I read it to you. It says because a sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily.

Therefore the heart of the sons of man is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil a hundred days and his days be privileged in other words his days. Nothing happens to him. Lightning doesn't strike him.

He doesn't get caught he doesn't get punished. There's no tragedy. There's no punishment. There's no judgment. There's no tower that falls on him. There's nothing that falls off of a root somewhere in New York City and kills him.

The Bible says don't be fooled by that though a sinner do evil a hundred days and his days be privileged. Yet, I know that it shall be well with them that fear God. Which fear before him but it shall not be well with the wicked neither Shall he prolong his days which are a shadow because he feareth not be for God.

Now Jesus carries this matter of the need for repentance and judgment a step further in the parable of the barren fig tree that follows in verses 6 to 9 and in this brief story of a fig tree a vineyard a vineyard keeper and most of all the vineyard owner.

We see the gospel portrayed in awesome, but wonderful pictures. For example we'll see in this parable a lovely picture of God's mercy and patience and grace and It tells us that God is patient with us.

He's patient with the fig tree and it gives a chance after chance after chance an opportunity after opportunity to repent. And not only to repent but to produce. Secondly the parable is a somber warning that judgment awaits every man and woman on the face of the earth.

Jesus makes it crystal clear that he expects certain results and growth from his seed. He patiently with long-suffering waits for the plans to produce a harvest. But if it does not finally he says I will not always be patient.

My spirit will not always strive with man but then underlining these two truths of grace and law or grace and judgment is the fact that God that God is the vineyard owner and He has a certain right to expect certain things from his creation.

And I come therefore to the heart of my message. Three important truths that universally apply to everybody. I don't mean just everybody sitting here. I mean everybody period. I Want you to note look in verse 6 note.

First of all the rights of the vineyard owner it says a certain man had a had planted a fig tree in his in his vineyard. Now the vineyard owner is God. Man is the fig tree and the first truth being established here is that God is a vineyard owner.

He is the vineyard owner and As such he has certain rights and expectations of the occupants of his vineyard it says and he came and He came. Expecting he came looking he came seeking fruit thereof and he found none.

Now, of course he was talking to the Jews and the Bible says that he came to them he came to his own. He planted them in a well-planted vineyard. He came and he expected fruit. He came to his own but his own received him not.

But we'll see these not only talking about the Jews he's also talking about us. He's talking about us. He's talking about ourselves. But let's take a look at the Jews go with me to Isaiah the fifth chapter because there is the parallel to This parable.

This is the Old Testament version of the very same thing. It's the parable that's called in in fact the heading in my King James Bible says the parable of the vineyard. Isaiah chapter 5. He said now will I sing to my beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard?

The beloved here is Christ. The vineyard here was the children of Israel the Jews he said my well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill and He fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof.

He fenced it. He protected it. He gathered out the stones he took out the enemies he planted with a choice vine. He built a tower in the midst of it. He put prophets there to warn them. He made a winepress thereof and he looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes and Now Oh habitants of Jerusalem the men of Judah judge.

I pray you betwixt me and my vineyard. What could I have done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it. Wherefore when I look that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes. And now go to.

I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away the heads thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and It shall be trodden down and I will lay it waste. It shall not be pruned nor dig but there shall come up thorn briars and thorns.

I will also command the clouds that they rain. No rain upon it. This was the judgments of God famine and so forth. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and The men of Judah his pleasant plant and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression for righteousness.

But behold a cry now. This is not only of course a picture of Israel. It's a picture of the church. God has made every provision. He's made every provision that you and I ought to be able to produce the fruit of righteousness and holiness and of good works.

Jesus says God's the owner. He's the provider of the vineyard. We are his well-chosen plants as fig trees and he has a right to expect us to bear fruit. He said what more could I have done for them? What more could I have done everything possible for you to blossom and to grow?

But let me take this principle a little bit a step further. There is a larger context In which the concept of the rights of the vineyard owner ought to be applied. You see there is a sense in which all men.

Whether they're in the church or outside the church. Whether they're Christians or non-christians. There is a sense in which every man Everybody on the face of the earth must recognize the rights of the vineyard owner.

You see when Jesus in answer to the Jews question about why these two tragedies happen to one to the Galileans one to the residents accident victims of Salome. When he said except ye repent ye shall likewise perish he was teaching that there is a standard by which all human life and activities are measured and That is that God is the vineyard owner of our human existence and Therefore he has a right to call each and every man into account.

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof and we are squatters. We are fig trees on his vineyard in his vineyard. When Paul witnessed in Athens to the heathen He took a different approach than when he went into the synagogue.

When he went to Athens he first established divine ownership divine rights. This is what he said in Acts 17 28 and 29 he says for in him we live and move and have our being as. As certain also of your own poets have said for we also are his offspring.

In other words, we are planted in the vineyard of our owner and Everybody must understand this first and fundamental truth the first right of the proprietor. The owner of the vineyard is the absolute right of possession God.

Whether you acknowledge that as a truth or not does not change the fact God owns you the proprietor of the universe the shopkeeper if you please the shop owner has a right of Possession of every vessel in his shop and we're that vessel now, you see we are a rights conscious nation.

Up to a certain point America was founded on the rights of individuals. Individual rights individual freedom. That's what's great about America. That's why people want to come to America. You see communism is based on the right of the state to control the individual.

But in America we have the right the right of free speech. Thank God that's why we were able to be out and picket today. That's why we could stand on that authority. We have the right we have the freedom of speech.

We have the freedom of press. We have the freedom of ownership. Blood has been spilt wars have been fought in order to produce these rights. And I want to tell you that's a big word in our American vocab.

That's a big thing to Americans. We have a right. We have a bill of rights. The civil rights battles of the 1960s Was a necessary and important right belonging to every minority. Especially the right of every American regardless of his color to have the same privileges in our society.

In fact the denial of certain rights to an American that existed for so many years. I think back of it now. It's a blight. It's a tragedy on America that it took us so long to come to that point to give everybody the same right.

Regardless of it his race his color or his creed. Amen. And Today Americans are still quick to defend rights, right? And yes, and you can often have the the the Constitution of the United States. Back you up with that, right and there are people who are championing the rights of the poor the neglect of the disenfranchised of our society.

There are social and legislative battles that have been fought to obtain the rights of employees the rights of migrant workers the rights of the handicapped the rights of The homeless the rights of AIDS victims the rights of homosexuals the rights of battered children.

The rights of battered women and so forth and thank God for those people that champion those kind of rights. There are even organizations that fight for the rights of seals Bald eagles Minx monkeys and mongrels.

I Seen some of the some of the strangest organizations fighting for some right? I get mail all the time to you know, some some group. Well, God bless them. I I think in fact You might say that Americans are obsessed with and over the rights of certain things or peoples in our society but isn't it an amazing that Americans and The American government has failed to recognize the rights of God.

The lesson of a vineyard owner ought to bring us face to face with the rights of God. You see in all our talk about the rights of man or the rights of a woman over her body. Yet we hear nothing about the higher claim of the proprietor of the universe who has a right over his creation.

Daniel Webster said this he said The most important thought that I ever had was that my in it was that of my individual responsibility to God and you see unless and until we acknowledge and accept the higher claims and the higher rights of God as the owner of the universe the owner of the vineyard and That he has a claim of ownership over every plant in the vineyard.

The fig tree you see will continue to say I have a right to do whatever I want. And if I have a little fig tree a baby fig tree in my wound I have a right to do whatever I want with the baby fig tree or I have a right to blow out my Brains with drugs or I have a right to do this or a right to do that and my and God said no you don't.

He said there is another right that supersedes at all and that is that you are in my Vineyard and instill you until you understand that you don't understand the basic truth of the universe. Jesus says nay not so.

Except ye repent ye shall likewise perish. Because my father is the vineyard owner and he has a right to expect certain fruits from his Creation and that goes all the way from the wound to the heart and to the whole being of an individual.

Hallelujah, the first truth. The first law is this God Has an absolute right in all human lives. Oh how I'd love to go before the Congress of the United States. When they are considering laws, for example of allowing prayer in school I'd love to go and say now gentlemen before you vote I want to tell you a little story about a fig tree in a vineyard.

I want to tell you a little story about a fig tree planted in the vineyard and You see if the owner comes and he sees that you have decreed a law. That the fig tree is not permitted to acknowledge that the source of its life comes out of the soil that is planted in and owned by the Vineyard keeper then he has a right my friend to cut you down and to bring judgment upon you.

Because you have not exhausted you have not acknowledged a prior right. You have not acknowledged the fact that we Give glory to the one who has created us. Hallelujah, if we want to pray to him and acknowledge his claim on the vineyard, then we have a right to do so.

Or I'd love to go before the Supreme Court if it considered the case as to whether a woman has a right to kill her unborn child. I Would say gentlemen before you consider this case. Let me tell you about the parable of the vineyard and its message to you and That is that the vineyard owner has a primary and first claim over the baby in a mother's womb the right to the vineyard owner is great than the right to the fig tree and This is well not a message tonight on abortion.

But if the fig tree has an unborn unripened fruit and you permit anybody to kill that plant that fruit of human life then the vineyard owner will Exercise his right to cut you down and to cast you away because he has a prior claim.

Upon every human being hallelujah, but whether we're talking about human rights or social rights or government rights or any rights God has first claim. God has first right of possession. You might say it in in real estate terms.

He has first right of refusal. He has first right of he has first right of possession over his creation. Listen Romans 9 Amplified Bible you won't be able to find the exact wording. Romans 9 19 and 20 says for who can resist and withstand his will.

But who are you a mere man to criticize and contradict and answer back to God. Will what is formed say to him that formed it why have you made me thus? Haven't you didn't you hear they heard that on the street.

We heard it on the streets today. Has a potter know right over the clay? Listen to Isaiah 26 15 and 16 it says woe to those whose deeds are in the dark and who say who sees us who knows us. Oh your perversity.

You turn things upside down. Shall the potter be considered of no more account on the clay? Shall the thing that is made say of its maker? He did not make me or the thing that is formed say to him who formed it.

He has no understanding. He has no right. Listen to Isaiah 45 9 to 11. It says woe to him who strives with his maker. A Worthless piece of broken pottery among other pieces equally worthless and Yet presuming to strive with his maker.

Shall the clay say to him who fashioned it? What do you think you are making or your work has no handles or no usefulness? Woe to him who complains against his parents that they have begotten him who says to a father What are you beginning or to a woman?

What are you in travail with? What are you in travail thus says the Lord the Holy One of Israel and his maker? Would you question me of things to come concerning my children and concerning the works of my hands?

Command me. I made the earth and created man upon it. Ah, in other words, I am the vineyard owner. What a revolution what a revival. What a remaking of society would take place of men would go back to the first and fundamental truth about Human life the rights of God as divine proprietor or divine vineyard owner.

You see The sovereignty of God you must understand that the sovereignty of God is all but forgotten today in the church. It's forgotten in society as a whole. You see both the humanist those who preach a prosperity gospel or a self-image gospel.

Both of them are on the same side of the fence. Both the humanist and the proponents of what Paul calls another gospel, which is not a gospel both groups have kicked God off of his sovereign throne and Have replaced him with an exalted man.

The humanist creates God in his own image and likeness and the prosperity gospel puts man on the throne and places God at his footstool as one whom he Commands and says go here do this for me go there and do that for me and we must return to this fundamental truth.

Every man is the creation of God and Thus the offspring of God and thus God as pictured as a vineyard owner has sovereign rights over his creation. This is what God had to tell Job. If you want to read something interesting go home tonight.

And especially those of you that are going out in the streets of in the abortion war. Listen to God talking to Job after all of the arguments of his friends and God speaks back to Job and begin to read it.

I think in the 38th chapter and on through maybe from chapter 38 on through the end. Why don't you read it tonight before you go to bed? But listen to one just one verse. It says gird up thy loins. This is God talking to Job.

He said gird up thy loins like a man. He said I will demand of thee and declare unto me. Will you even make my right of no value? Will you say that I am wrong in order to make clear that you are right now?

You see government can pass all the civil laws they want. The philosophers and humanists can deliberate all they want over human and civil and social rights. But there is another right to which all other rights must be subject and suburb.

Suburban and that is man is made in the image and likeness of God. He's made by God. I am the property of God. Hallelujah. I Am the property of God. I am a fig tree in the vineyard of the Lord and You know when you go out on the street you that witness on the street.

There is a need to begin when we witness. This is where we need to begin to witness many times out on the streets. We need to begin to witness regarding eternal things. Romans 14 8 says for whether we live we live under the Lord and Whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lord's and It goes on a few verses later.

It says so that every one of us shall give an account of himself to God. You see it's good to look a sinner in the eye. It's good to look the sinner in the face and say you are the product. You are not the product of chance.

You are not intended to be the property of the devil. You are the property of God. You are a fig tree in his vineyard. You know in Isaiah 61. Which Jesus also quoted one time in his own hometown synagogue.

Jesus stood in his synagogue and he quoted from Isaiah 61 he said the Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the gospel to the poor and I can't remember the rest of it to bring it to set at liberty them that are captive to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and so forth the very essence of the gospel and.

Then it goes on in a few verses later and it tells us why? He said that they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord. That he might be glorified. That he might be glorified. Listen, I dare say some of you sitting here tonight.

The devil has gotten glory long enough out of your fig tree. It's time to acknowledge Christ's claim over you. You may be a bond slave of the devil. You may be a bond slave of sin. You may be the servant of your lust or your passions or whatever.

But in a deeper sense and in the essential fact of your creation you belong to God. This is my father's world. It's true that this world has bent on wickedness. But the fact remains that this is God's world.

It's his sunshine. It's his reign and it's his humidity as well tonight as well. But it's his hallelujah. I'm in his world. Did the devil ever grow a blade of grass? Did the devil ever put a baked potato on your table?

Did the devil ever grow an apple an orange or or plant a rose or grow a rose? This is God's world and he has a claim to his creation. Hallelujah, there is no more glorious truth than that and and it's portrayed for us in the gospel of the vineyard.

Hallelujah, but then the vineyard owner not only has first rights. He has also the rights to expect the fig tree to produce fruit. Look at verse 7. It said then said he to the dresser of the vineyard and that's the the owner now of the vineyard.

He comes and he said behold these three years. I came seeking fruit on this fig tree and found none. Cut it down. Why come birth it to the ground? Now listen. If God owns me He has the right of moral expectation.

He has the right to expect fruit in Isaiah 5 in the song of the vineyard. It said he looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes. You see with every privilege become comes a right and a responsibility and.

The question is what are we doing with the rights and privileges of being the planting of the Lord? What are you doing about the messages and the truths that are being preached to you here? God is going to hold you accountable for the word preached from this pulpit.

God holds us accountable to the level and standard of the soil on which we've been planted to whom much is given much shall be required and I believe therefore that it is dangerous and I don't say this as a proud statement.

I don't say this because we're the only people preaching the gospel in this city. There are other churches that are doing so but I'll say it. Anyhow, it's dangerous to come to Times Square Church. Because you're getting truth and you're getting light.

We're preaching a strong message and we lift up a high standard of righteousness and holiness. And it's beyond me. It's beyond me how anyone can come to this church and willfully continue in sin. But I know it's happened.

I sat here Sunday night and I knew Individuals that were in the audience that were living in sin, and I looked at the altar call. I watched to see if there was response and there was not they sat and they listened and they went out.

And My friend if you be that individual God holds you accountable. For what you're hearing if you're not going to obey it don't come to church. If you're not going to obey it don't come here because God will hold you accountable.

For every word and truth that you hear hallelujah. The owner of the vineyard said look at the opportunities afforded the fig tree to produce. He said it's I came three years it's heard three years of sermons.

The three in fact three means complete. Really means complete and some have said the three Refers to the law the prophets in Christ. Well, if that be the case, then I want to tell you you're hearing at Times Square Church.

The law the prophets in Christ. We preach the whole truth the Old Testament the New Testament. And you've got a lot to behold accountable for and the owner would say to you tonight I come seeking fruit.

Will he find it? But you know, there's another remarkable thing in this study and that is the loving intervention and intercession of the vineyard dresser the vine dresser. You see when the vineyard owner stated and rightfully so he said cut it down.

I've come three years and I don't see anything. I've come three years and all that fig tree does is sit in the pew and take up a space and nothing happens to him and he said Cut it down but look at verse 8 and he.

The vine dresser answered and said to him the owner Lord Let it alone this year also till I dig it and Dung it or fertilize it. Well, you see the vine dresser here is Christ. And oh, I'm struck with the patience and the forbearance of our Lord.

Oh How he extends his grace to us again and again. Waiting for our fig tree to produce fruit. Romans 2 4 says or despises thou the riches of his goodness and Forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.

Let me tell you a story about a young man, this is some years ago and teen challenge. He'd come he come to us for help. But it became very apparent after a few days that he was not out to save his soul, but to save his skin.

He came for what we say three hots and a cot three hot meals and a bed to sleep on. He very belligerent very belligerent go to come to chapel because he had to but he'd sit there and with his arms folded and if body language would caught who could talk.

I wouldn't want to know what he was saying and. The staff were kind of divided. Whether he should stay there or not because he was starting to influence some of the other fellas. Adversely, and so they wanted him to leave and so they came to me and said brother Don we think he ought to be dismissed.

And so I went to find him but I found out that he just left on his own voluntarily and so I thought well. At least I don't have to confront him. But about two or three hours later, I went through the lobby of teen challenge and there he sat he was there.

And he said can I come back? And I said no the rules are that. You have to be put on a waiting list and you can come back and some. You know, you go to the bottom of the waiting list and work your way back.

He said reverend. He said you don't understand. He said I just out in those streets two hours. And he said, please can I go in the office? So I brought him in the office and he started to explain this to me.

He said I just out in those streets two hours. He said something spoke to me. Something said to me. This is a place for you. You need to come back here. Well, I looked at him. And I thought about our rule.

Said well, look, I know we got the rule, but we're under law. But we're also under grace. And so I said well grace is gonna rule because I've always I always had a rule also with my staff. I said every time I make a rule in this house I'm the first one that's allowed to break it if I feel they have to to meet human need and meet somebody's needs.

So I said, all right, you you can come back. Well, I didn't find out for many months later what spoke to him to come back he went home to visit his mother during the time and At the time he was also a parole violator.

And he had run away and that's why he came to the teen challenge Center he came hiding out and. And During those two hours when he left us he went home To visit his mother and while he was eating there was a knock at the door.

His brother went to answer it and it was his parole officer so he jumped out of his back and we crawled out a back window and Ran back all the way to teen challenge and there he sat in my office With innocence his eyes and he said brother Don something spoke to me and told me this is a place I ought to be.