Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

When Jesus finally delivers the verdict in this parable, He doesn't soften it and says, "The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits." And that word should stop every one of us in our tracks, because Jesus is not threatening a distant nation. He's speaking to the religious leaders standing right in front of Him. The people who thought their position guaranteed their fruit.

But here's what's incredible about what Jesus says next. He doesn't say the Kingdom will be given to a more talented people. He doesn't say it will go to the ones with better resources, bigger platforms, or more impressive credentials. He says it will be given to a people producing its fruits.

That word "people" in the Greek is ethnos and it doesn't mean a race. Nor does it mean a nation in the political sense. It means a kind of people. An ethic, not an ethnic. A people defined by their practice, not their pedigree.

So what I'm seeing is this...the Kingdom was not removed from the Pharisees for lack of ability, but lack of accountability. They had every tool, every Scripture, every tradition, every opportunity to produce and render the fruit of the Kingdom. But they consumed it for themselves, and because of that, the Kingdom was reassigned.

And that should make us stop and think, because the same principle applies to you and me right now. The question is never "How much can you produce?" The question is "What are you doing with what's already been produced?"

I need you to hear this...
Faithfulness is not measured by what you've been given, but by what you've given back. 

The master didn't come looking for the biggest harvest in the region. He came looking for his portion. And when the tenants couldn't produce it, not because they didn't have it but because they refused to release it, the vineyard was given to someone else.

This is where our MULTIPLY vision converges with this text. The people producing its fruits is exactly what we are being called to become. Not a people who just attend or a people who just show up and consume what the vineyard offers, but a people who render to the Master what belongs to Him by multiplying it in others. 

• When you disciple someone, you are giving the Master His harvest. 
• When you pour into a marriage so it can minister to another couple, you are giving the Master His harvest. 
• When you raise your kids to follow Christ and not just follow rules, you are giving the Master His harvest.

Just think about that. The Kingdom doesn't go to the most capable. It goes to the most faithful. And faithfulness looks like taking what God has placed in your hands and putting it back into His. Man...read those last few sentences again.

Tomorrow we close this series with the question that started it all, and I'm going to ask you to do something that will mark this season for you. So come ready.

Think of one person in your life who needs what God has already produced in you. It could be encouragement, wisdom, time, or practical help. Reach out to that person today and render something specific. Don't wait to feel ready. Just be faithful.