Connected in Growth

Matthew 20:1-16

I am calling this connected in growth because by the very definition of growth we get more opinions involved.

Sometimes our preferences and desires can cause disunity in a church.

It would be easy to draw from recent days in my kids lives and discuss how ones desires can cause a struggle and fighting in the family.

But when I begin to think about it, I remember back to my childhood and see many examples there too.

My brother and sister, I mean…I was an angel.

No, as the youngest child I often felt I needed to fight to get my way with my siblings.

And I soon learned the system!

We can naturally be selfish!

It’s a good thing we outgrow that as we get older, right?

Wrong!

Christians can sometimes act like demanding children when they don’t get their way.

Even the embryo beginning of the church with Jesus and the disciples we saw infighting.

At one point the men who would become the pillars of the church were fighting over who was the greatest.

Jesus heard them, and when they had gotten to the house where they were going to stay he asked them,

What was it that you were fighting about earlier?

But they didn’t answer.

I imagine them looking at each other waiting for the other to admit it first.

And the Bible says they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

Mark 9:35 KJV

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

There it is!

We want to point a finger at those disciples and say, Oh wow, He got you good!

But really are we any better?

My motivation as a member of this church ought to be how can I serve instead of seeking to be served.

In our text today, Jesus is giving us a parable where the leader has made a decision and the workers are not happy because it wasn’t done according to their preference.

Now I know that the interpretation of this parable deals with the nation of Israel and the inclusive nature of the kingdom of God.

I do, however, realize that this has great application to our churches as well.

This parable teaches us that everyone has a part in the ministry of God, no matter when they came, no matter what their credentials, because God has placed them here to share their gift with us.

Let’s see first of all the...

I. Equal Promise

1-7

We see that the householder, or the master of the house, made a promise for a penny a day.

His words to the rest he said whatsoever is right I will give you.

Can I just say, as this parable represents God, God will always be fair!

We may not see it that way, but He is always fair!

But further notice with me that ...

A. God Sees Equal Potential

Each time he came to look for workers, he saw them with equal worth.

It would do us good to see each other as equal worth!

It would do us good to see our selves through God’s eyes…of equal worth!

God wants to use you just as much as He wants to use me, or Billy Graham, or Billy Sunday, or any other Billy, Joe, Susie, Martha, or Elizabeth!

God gave each of us gifts, yes differing from each other, but equal in importance.

Because God sees equal potential, where the difference comes is unequal yielding.

B. God Sees Time Running Out

3-6a

Notice how the master of the house, as the day was disappearing, and the work was not being completed fast enough, went back out to get more help.

Judging by the space of time when he came back out to get more help, we can assume that they began work at 6 am.

The Bible says he went back out at the third hour (9 am), then again at the sixth hour (12 noon), then again at the ninth hour (3 pm) and then at the eleventh hour (5 pm) perhaps at the last moments of the day just before sabbath, so the work needed to be completed.

Other’s were upset and grumbled that others didn’t do the same amount of work as they did.

But God calls who He wills to do the job He wants them to do.

Time is fleeing!

We pray even so come quickly!

And we should always be eager and ready for the Lord’s return.

But may we not be like those just waiting around the market place.

Let’s get busy and welcome all the help we can get!

even if they have different preferences than we do.

C. God Sees Some Waiting

6-7

He goes out to the marketplace, the church for our purposes, and sees those standing idle and he says, Let’s go get busy…and you too will have your reward.

Can I tell you...It’s not too late to earn your reward!

If you are just being a pew potato in the house of God, Let me ask you the same thing God is asking…Why stand ye here all the day idle?

“I don’t know what to do!”

Then start praying, “Lord what would you have me to do?”

“But if I pray that, He might tell me something!”

Hey! Time is running out!

The day is far spent!

Or more appropriately as the Bible says, The night is far spent … because we are in the realm of the works of darkness…the day is at hand!

We are coming to the time when work on this earth will no longer be an option!

Winning the lost will no longer be a opportunity!

Get up!

Get Going!

Get out into the field!

Use the Gift that God has given you!

Each of us have equal promise to be used by God

Let’s get busy!

II. Equal Payday

8-15

The master of the house is fair from the very beginning!

He agrees to pay them one penny, or one denarius.

This is a good days pay for a worker in these days.

So the promise of a penny was a fair wage.

So was it fair for the master of the house to give those who only worked one, or three, or six, or nine hours to get paid the same as those who worked for twelve?

Well that is up to the one giving, isn’t it?!

That is not really any of our business.

What is fair?

What they agreed upon!

What was promised to us?

A. His Grace Is Sufficient

2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Grace in this respect, is “God giving me the desire and the power to do His will.”

Everyone say that with me...”Grace is God giving me the desire and the power to do His will.”

God tells us my grace is sufficient for thee!

God doesn’t tell us my grace for you is sufficient for your friends offences.

God has not giving me dying grace today, because I’m not dying right at this moment.

Yet, I have seen the grace of God poured out upon a dying saint of God that gives them the desire to leave this world and the power to endure the hardness of death in those last moments.

I don’t have that grace right now!

I don’t wanna go that way!

I want to go living and still kicking!

But God’s grace is sufficient enough for me to go through the trials that he has be going through right now!

Hebrews 4:16 KJV

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

grace to help in time of need, not in time prior to the need.

So My grace is just enough for me, your grace is available just enough for you!

B. His Spirit is Available

Each and everyone of us who are saved have the Holy Spirit living inside of us.

We have the same opportunity for being used by God through His Spirit.

The workers were upset that the workers who worked for less amount of time were paid the same wage.

In our churches, It may look more like envy over another’s spiritual gift.

Or envy over a leadership role.

The call to the harvest is the same for all of us!

Whether we are a picker, a gatherer, or a bundler, a shipper, or a washer, we all have a job to do.

The Spirit gives the gifts as He wills, but we all have the same Spirit in us.

Don’t worry about your preference or desires, just yield to the God’s desires!

C. His Rewards Are Generous

The Lord has promised a reward to those who are faithful.

The Bible speaks of:

The Victor’s Crown - or incorruptible crown - exercise discipline and perseverance.

The Crown of Rejoicing - the soul winners crown

The Crown of Righteousness - for loving His appearing

The Crown of Life - Enduring temptation

The Crown of Glory - to those who lead, faithful pastors, and shepherds.

His rewards are generous, and they are available to all who will be faithful to Him!

He gives us plenty for doing the work He has called us to do.

We don’t need to cling to anything else other than God’s gifts.

We don’t need to cling to our preferences, or desires for our church or even for our lives.

Let God mold both into the image that He desires…I promise it is so much better!

It doesn’t matter how long we have been working in this field, or what position we hold we all hold a special place in God’s eyes and each of us are here to help one another.

Each of us are here to bring our part to the work that God has called us.

III. Equal Place

vs 16

I have often heard that the first shall be last and the last shall be first means … you better put others ahead of you or you will be last in heaven.

But I think this is a misinterpretation of this verse.

I believe what is being said is that there will be no first or last.

A. No Room for Prejudice

God does not play favorites.

He is not prejudiced in any way.

Therefore there is no room for prejudice in our church either.

In fact if you look at the times when Jesus was most harsh while here on this earth you will see that for the most part they were due to the mistreatment of other people.

He turned the tables int he temple because the people were being cheated and robbed. - turned it into a den of thieves.

He called the Pharisees vipers because they were judgmental and excluded the people that need their help the most.

He got after the Pharisees for placing harsh rules over the people out of their own preferences rather than God’s commands.

He said it would have been better for someone to tie a millstone around their neck and cast them into the sea than for them to hurt one of the children that believe in Him.

He cared about those others cast aside, or didn’t care about.

This ought to be our job too!

“I don’t agree with their politics.” Okay, but we can still love them.

“I don’d understand their culture.” Okay, but why not show love by learning about it.

“They look different.” Okay, but you look different than Jesus looked!

You do realize he wasn’t white man with blue eyes, right?

We need to be a church that welcomes all.

Stand on the Bible!

Speak the truth in love!

But love anyone who comes through those doors!

B. No Room for Inward Focus

The workers didn’t have time to stand around, they didn’t have time to focus on the others, the work needs to get done!

A survey was recently completed that was able to identify if the individual churches were inwardly focused or outwardly focused.

That is if they were inwardly focused they were not serving past their own walls or their own members.

In this study they found ten dominant behavior patterns of the members of these churches. See if you recognize any.

Worship wars - Worship has to be done with only particular tools and instruments.

Prolonged minutia meetings - inordinate amount of time in meetings. Most dealing with inconsequential items rarely discussing the main mission of the church.

Facility focus - The facility develops iconic status. the highest priority of the church is the protection and preservation of rooms, furniture or carpet.

Program driven - Rather than being led by the Holy Spirit they are led by canned programs. The problem is not with programs, it is the focus for insight.

Inwardly focused budget - a disproportionate share of the budget is used to meet the needs and comforts of the members and rarely reaches beyond the walls of the church.

Inordinate demands for pastoral care - all church members deserve care and concern, especially in times of need and crisis. Problems develop, however, when church members have unreasonable expectations for regular, repeated visits just because they are a member.

Attitudes of Entitlement - having an attitude of demanding or having a sense of deserving special treatment.

Greater concern about change than the gospel - Any noticeable change grabs every ones attention! But are more concerned about that than the gospel being shared.

Anger and hostility - Members are consistently angry. Regularly express hostility and complaints toward staff or other members.

Evangelistic apathy - very few members share their faith on a regular basis.

Honestly this was convicting for me!

Are we more concerned about our Position, our Recognition, or our Preferences more than we are about getting the gospel out to a lost and dying world?

We have pledged in the first week to be an active and functioning member. Whether an eye, or an ear, or a hand, just be where and what God made us.

In the second pledge we promised to be a source of unity in our church.

Today, I want to ask you to pledge with me this third pledge

I am a church member. I will not let my church be about my preferences and desires. That is self-serving. I am a member in this church to serve others and to serve Christ. My Savior went to a cross for me. I can deal with any inconveniences and matters that just aren’t my preference or style.