Text: Matthew 20:1-16
Christ-Workers will receive generous rewards in eternity. Christ does
not pay wages to His Workers. Christ gives rewards to His workers.
Christ-Workers sacrifice to work for the Master.
Rich spoke on the fact that the point of the parable of the vineyard owner was that God is generous and will be generous with rewards when we get to heaven.
I was very encouraged to see this little-understood doctrine taught. Rich made the case powerfully with a multitude of scripture passages. [I usually think the minimum required to teach the point is best, but with this rather controversial topic bringing in many references was the right choice.] Rich also acknowledged the limits of scripture's information on this topic in a way that enhanced the listener's ability to believe the message.
ReplyDeleteTwo things could be added to make this sermon complete. One is more specific application. How can we use this doctrine in specific situations in our lives? With this topic almost as important as how should we use this topic is how we should not use it. So the other thing missing would be some more emphatic caveats on how we are saved by grace. He did say it, for sure! But we need to be careful to convey grace-oriented messages to even the casual listeners.
Those points aside it was a good message for us and a powerful reminder of the incentives that Jesus has put before us to encourage us to pursue him with all the power that he gives us.
Good comments again Corey.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated Rich's sermon.
Here is my problem - Rich said that the point of the parable was "God is Generous / He will reward us generously / The rewards will include crowns and other things and they will happen in the next life." All that is good and true and well worth teaching.
This does not seem to be the point of the parable. It seems as if the whole point of the parable is God's extremely unfair generosity. The kingdom of God exhibits the kind of generosity that drives us crazy. This will manifests itself in me standing in front of Jesus with a man who cheated on his wife - and this woman who happens to be a very good friend of mine - and having Jesus forgive this man. This will manifest itself in a person whose child was killed by a drunk driver watching that drunk get into heaven. And not just forgive these two, but welcoming them!
Let me give just one more example of what the kingdom of God is like. There is highway construction. The road necks down from 2 lanes to 1. The compressed line stretches back for one mile. I dutifully wait in that line. A BMW races up on the outside all the way to the front of the line and puts on his blinker. And someone lets him in. Argh!
That is the powerful point of this parable.