20 What Is My Reward?
The Kingdom Is Near • Sermon • Submitted
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· 14 viewsBig Idea: Forget the Formula, Our Father is Faithful
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Introduction
Introduction
Seeing Upside-Down – brain adjusts upside-down image
What if the way we see the spiritual world is the same way?
Actually, that is exactly what happened. Sin turned our vision
That’s why Jesus taught in parables, to turn our understanding back upright. The Kingdom is near, learn to see it.
Starting in - Turn there
A Servant’s Duty
A Servant’s Duty
A Servant’s Duty
Read
v.5 Increase our faith – faith to forgive.
v.6 It doesn’t take miraculous faith to forgive. Faith and obedience.
vv.7-9 story of servant doing his work.
So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ”
Servant obeys. Faithful.
Servant obeys. Faithful.
Moving to - Turn there
Rich and Loving It
Rich and Loving It
Read
v. 16 What good thing must I do to have eternal life?
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
Luke 17
v. 17 Only God is good – obey His commands
v. 17 Only God is good – obey His commands
v. 18-19 six commands – the Love Others commands
v.20 already do them. What do I lack? = knows something is still missing
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
matthew 19:21
v.21 sell everything, give to poor, treasure in heaven, follow Me. = Love God and Love Others.
v.21 sell everything, give to poor, treasure in heaven, follow Me. = Love God and Love Others.
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
v.22 sad because wealth lifted to idolatry. Loves wealth more than God.
v.22 sad because wealth lifted to idolatry. Loves wealth more than God.
Checking the 10 Commands boxes, but still breaking the Law.
Missing out on Life.
v.23-24 Jesus comments on rich to disciples – uses exaggeration/hyperbole camel and eye of needle
What Is Our Reward?
What Is Our Reward?
Read
v.25 amazed – belief that wealth was a sign of God’s favor – but here it mostly keeps you out of the Kingdom.
Who can be saved??
v.26 impossible for man but not for God
v.27 Peter – left everything, what do we get?
v.28 renewal of all things = alluding to new heaven, new earth
v.29 leave it all – eternal life
100x as much another exaggeration = blessed beyond belief
matthew
But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
v.30 is the point – first will be last, last first. Same as parable of rich man and Lazarus from last week.
v.30 is the point – first will be last, last first.
Same as parable of rich man and Lazarus from last week.
First and Last, and Upside-Down and Backward
First and Last, and Upside-Down and Backward
Read
Read
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
v.1 Kingdom of heaven is like…
v.1 Kingdom of heaven is like…
Story of hiring workers throughout the day and paying them all the same at the end.
Cultural situation = workers waiting to be hired (not servants) paid at end of day
Paid the last first. Denarius = they all received a full day’s wage
When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
matthew 20:
v.11 Of course they grumbled. Wouldn’t you?
Of course they grumbled. Wouldn’t you?
v.12 made them equal to us but we worked harder
Story of work at Martins.
“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?
v.13 not unfair, you agreed for a fair day’s wage.
v.13 not unfair, you agreed for a fair day’s wage.
matthew 20:
Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
vv.14-15 I have the right to be generous.
vv.14-15 I have the right to be generous. This statement helped me
Compare the workers in the vineyard to the two lost sons. One squanders and comes back, the other is there all the time working faithfully. Both are loved, cared for, provided for.
Generous Father
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
v.16 last will be first, first last – turned it around this time.
v.16 last will be first, first last – turned it around this time.
In a way, Jesus is saying that no matter when you enter the vineyard you receive the same reward.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Upside-down and backward Kingdom Economics – the Kingdom of God is not like the kingdom of the world.
First will be last and last first. That’s backward.
Sacrifice and Reward – inherit eternal life and vastly more than before. This is really upside-down.
What is our attitude toward wealth, position, value, work? When is enough, enough?
Big Idea: Forget the Formula, Our Father is Faithful.
Big Idea: Forget the Formula, Our Father is Faithful.
Forget the Formula, Our Father is Faithful.
He is faithful, just, and generous.
Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
So (conclusion) the last will be first and the first will be last.
Count the cost and willingly pay it. For joy. For love.
It isn’t about counting check marks or notches, it’s about joyfully selling out for the Master, holding everything loosely, living generously.
Do what you are commanded, don’t seek reward, but understand the Master is generous in the end. Serve the Master with joy. Trust for what you need. It’s really about the attitude in your heart and motivation for serving that makes a difference.
The Kingdom mindset for wealth and riches and reward looks upside-down.
Hold it loosely. Give it away. Trust the faithful and just Father for your provision, both now and in the rest of eternity. Live generously now.
Give to the church, give to those serving God, help the lowly and poor and homeless and widows and foreigners. Live generously now, the reward is worth it.
What About You?
What About You?
Have you started seeing the world through Kingdom lenses, through spiritual eyes?
Are you holding the wealth of this world loosely and living generously?
Are you serving joyfully, investing yourself in the Kingdom?
The Kingdom mindset for wealth and riches and reward is upside-down. Hold it loosely. Give it away. Trust the faithful and just Father for your provision, both now and in the rest of eternity. Live generously now.
Give to the church, give to those serving God, help the lowly and poor and homeless and widows and foreigners. Live generously now, the reward is worth it.