Matthew 20:1-16

One day as Jesus was teaching a Rich young ruler came seeking the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus told him to sell all he owned and give it to the poor. Then he would have treasures in heaven. But this was too much to ask. So the rich young man walked away sad.

This incident got the disciples thinking. They had left their families. They had dropped their nets and careers to follow Jesus. They had done what this rich young ruler couldn't. They got feeling rather good about themselves.

In fact they got feeling a little too good. They not only thought themselves good but they thought themselves better than others. And Peter, the one with the big mouth, started shooting it off. I can just see him with his chest buffed up putting his arm around Jesus and saying, "Well, we left everything to follow you. I just wonder what will we get in return."

Jesus acknowledged that they would be rewarded for their sacrifice, but he also realized that he needed to knock them down a notch or two. He needed to deflate their puffed up self righteous attitudes. So he told them a story. And that story might have gone something like this.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a factory owner. This factory owner was opening a new factory and needed some workers. So on Monday he went to the employment agency and found some. He offered to pay these workers $1,000 for a 40 hour work week and the workers gladly agreed. On Tuesday morning he went back to the employment agency and hired some more workers. On Wednesday morning he hired some more workers. Thursday and again on Friday he hired even more workers.

When quitting time came on Friday he told the foreman to pay the newest workers first and the ones hired on Monday last. When the people hired Friday morning looked at their pay checks they jumped and hollered. They were paid $1,000 for one day's work. When the workers hired Monday saw this they started figuring that they would get paid a lot more because they had worked all week. In fact they were the ones that trained the new workers. But when they got their pay checks they were only $1,000.

The group hired on Monday chose a spokesperson to go and talk to the factory owner. They said, "Hey, look here, we worked five days for you and these greenhorns and deadbeats who worked only one day got paid the same as we did. It isn't fair that they should get the same pay we did." The factory owner just said, "Friends, I am doing you no wrong. I paid you what we agreed to when you signed on here. Take your pay and go home. I am the one who calls the shots here and I can pay people whatever I want to. It's my factory and if I want the first to be last and the last to be first, then so be it."

Jesus is right. The kingdom of heaven is a lot like that. There are a lot of Christians who spend their whole lives serving the Lord. They make deep personal sacrifices to do God's will. Like the disciples they give up the comforts of life to follow Jesus. For instance missionaries move far from their families and from civilization just because Jesus called them to.

And sometimes they begin to become self righteous about their sacrifices. They say to themselves, "Look what I have given up to serve the Lord." Or, "Look what I have done to serve God's kingdom." And they begin to think they deserve more than others. They think themselves important and they look down on others who have given less time, or less money, or who studied the Bible less.

That is what the first disciples did. They said to Jesus, "Don't we deserve more than those who have worked less by human standards." I had a friend once who gave much time and energy to God. He led a number of people to Christ. And he was proud of "all the stars he would have in his crown."

We have all done the same. Given ourselves pats on the back for acts of devotion and service. And said to ourselves, "How much better than others am I to have done this thing. To have read the Bible through, or taught that most difficult Sunday School Class, or given so much time to volunteer work, or being so spiritual, or giving up Monday night football to come to church! And like those first disciples of Christ we saunter up to Jesus and say, "I really deserve a special blessing for what I have done for you."

Well I've got a news flash for all of Jesus' followers. We all get the same pay in the end. The salary for being a Christian is eternal life. And it doesn't matter when you signed on to the team, we all get paid the same. No one gets special treatment or extra bonuses in this operation. The person who spends their whole life sacrificing for the Lord gets the same pay as the one who comes to the Lord only late in life.

Oh, you will be paid back for all you have given up for the Lord many times over. Jesus told the disciples that they would receive many times over what they had given up in homes and families and friends and careers. You see Jesus knew that they would go to Heaven and there are many mansions in his father's house. And In God's family we are all brother and sister and mothers and fathers to one another. But everyone else gets the same wages. All who have given themselves to Christ will dwell with him in glory and there are no bad neighborhoods in Heaven.

The point is that as Christians we don't earn our wages. We could never earn what God gives us. We could never pay God enough to reimburse him for our salvation. We can't do anything great or wonderful enough to earn God's grace and eternal life. Eternal life is a gift given to all who give their lives to Christ.

So why work for Christ and God's kingdom if we are all paid the same. Shouldn't we just sit down on the job and let someone else do all the work. Or maybe we should just wait until the last minute to sign on the work detail and then take a coffee break until we die? Then we can slip into the kingdom at the last minute without having to work for it.

If you really have thought that, then you missed the point of discipleship. Discipleship is not about earning our salvation. I hope I have already made it clear - that it can't be done. Discipleship is about worshiping God. It is about giving thanks to God with the sweat of our brows.

You can't buy your way into the kingdom. You can't bribe your way into the kingdom. You can't work your way into the kingdom. You can only accept the kingdom as a gift. So don't expect to get paid more for your work and devotion and sacrifice. Simply do it out of gratitude for what Christ has done for you!

Philippians 1:12-30

The Church today is in dire straights. The message we have been given is just not suited for modern ears. We are commissioned to proclaim to a world that they are in need of God. But the world believes that it is totally self reliant. It believes that the human animal can do all things. We, the church of Christ, are commissioned to proclaim that the law of God is the highest authority. But the world believes that the human potential is the only authority. The world believes that being able to achieve greater things is the most important thing. We, the church, are told to proclaim that the greatest power in the world is a man dying on a cross. But the world values wealth power. To the world the most powerful force is that of nuclear weapons. The truth God has given us to proclaim to the world is the opposite of what the world considers to be true. To the world the Gospel truth seems like foolishness. And no one is going to just sit around and listen to foolishness. This problem is most obvious in the fact that the younger generation is leaving the church. Some have called the generation of the baby boomers a lost generation, because so many of them are leaving the church. And many of them are turning to the wisdom of the world for spiritual fulfillment. They are finding their way to new age religions that teach that the human is their own savior.

On top of that there are many within the Church who have accepted the world's values. There are some who teach that wealth is the reward God gives us. They say that if you have enough faith you will be financially prosperous. As if there was no greater gift for God's children. There are those on the right and the left that identify political stances as tests of faith. Tell me if you are pro this or anti that and I will tell you if you are a child of God. But the truth of the gospel cannot be fully expressed in any politicians platform.

We fight amongst ourselves for almost every reason some good some maybe not so good. It seems as if the very foundation of the Church will crumble. The Church is in dire straights! [wringing hands] What are we to do?

Meanwhile back in the first century, the brothers and sisters in Philippi are wringing their hands. They say, "What are we to do?" Have you heard what has happened. They have arrested Paul the great Apostle! We need him to help us to spread the Gospel. Proclaiming Christ Crucified in foolishness to the greeks and a stumbling block to Jews. He was the only one who could reason with them way he reasoned with us. How can we go on without Paul to help us? Without Paul no one will listen to us and hear the gospel.

What makes matters worse is that some people are taking advantage of Paul's imprisonment. They are saying that Paul was wrong to begin with. They say that God would not let a good man be thrown in jail. So they say he must be wrong. They are teaching that the greek men need to be circumcised to be followers of Christ. There are also others teaching that there is a secret knowledge that will bring salvation. They say that the Gospel Paul preaches is incomplete. And that people must join them and learn the whole truth.

All this bickering amongst us may cause us to be rent asunder. We are a small Church and the powers that oppose us are so great. We could be squashed. Then where would the Gospel be?

As Paul sat in jail back in Rome, he heard of the Philippians distress, so he wrote them a letter to ease their minds. He said, "I know that you are worried about how I am doing in Prison." "But I want you to know that, sisters and brothers, that what has happened to me has served to advance the Gospel." While here I have had opportunity to tell the guards about Christ, And people have heard that a Roman citizen was willing to go to jail for worshiping Jesus and so they want to hear about Jesus. The local Church here has been strengthened by my witness in their midst just as you where when I first came to Philippi.

I have also heard about those detractors. They are proclaiming Christ out of envy and rivalry, for no good reason, no matter what at least the truth of Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice.

I am not sure if I will die of be acquitted, but I know that either way it will be for Christ. I know that you need me so I am sure that I will be delivered in the flesh and be by to see you so that you may glorify God.

I am sure that the Philippians were glad to hear that word. After all how could they go on without Paul? They needed his guidance to be able to proclaim the Gospel. He seemed to be the only one who could quell their doubts in the face of fantastic odds. Paul was their only hope.

But you know what? Chances are Paul never did come back to Philippi. If Paul was writing from Rome as many believe he was martyred before he ever returned to Philippi. And even if he was writing from somewhere else chances are he wasn't around for long. Paul the great Apostle died.

But you know what? The Gospel advanced! After Paul died the Church went on. And after some years the Church was faced with heretics who drew many people away from the truth of the Gospel. Some of these heretics were called the Gnostics and the Arians. But despite all those people leaving the church the Gospel advanced. After a while in the 6th century the Christian church which was one until then split. The eastern part was run from Constantinople. and the western part was run from Rome. But despite this division in the ranks the Gospel advanced. Year piled on Year and century after century and Martin Luther defied the church authority and said "Here I stand I can do no other." And the church said "Good, you can stand out there." As a result the eastern half of the church was divided again into the Protestant and the catholic churches. Yet the Gospel advanced. Then a group of reformers got to radical for Luther. Some said only adults could be baptized and others that God predestined all things. Because of that people even killed one another over their theological differences. But the Gospel advanced. In modern times people have claimed that the Old time religion is out moded. They offer modern ways of thinking as substitutes to the age old truths. Yet the Gospel advances!

And the Gospel will continue to advance! The United Methodist Church is losing members rapidly. But it can decline into oblivion. And the Gospel will advance. The Southern Baptist Convention is about to fall apart because of disagreements between moderates and conservatives. But it can splinter into a thousand pieces. And the Gospel will advance.

The Gospel will advance until the end of time when Christ comes again and makes a new heaven and a near earth. The Gospel will advance because the Gospel is bigger than our earthly institutions and leaders. The Gospel is bigger than Paul, and Luther. The Gospel is bigger than the the Southern Baptist Convention or the United Methodist Church.

Paul wrote; "with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain." There is an assumption at work in that statement. It is that there is a power greater than us in charge of advancing the Gospel. God is in charge. The Gospel will advance because God Almighty wishes that it advance.

Psalm 78

"God is great, God is good." That was probably the first prayer I ever learned. I know it was the first prayer I ever taught my children. And it is a prayer that seems to stick with children. While I was in college at USC I attended Washington St. UMC in Columbia. I remember one Sunday C.J. Lupo was doing a children's sermon. The children were all sitting on the floor around him and, he gave them a little lesson. I forget the lesson but when he finished he said, "Now let's say a prayer." And before he could get another word out a little girl blurted out: "God is great! God is good! Let us thank Him for our food. By His hands we all are fed. Give us Lord our daily bread."

We find that story amusing. It seems so out of place to say grace or return thanks during a worship service. That poor little silly girl didn't know it was neither the time nor the place for a blessing. Or was it? That little girl had been taught well to give thanks to God. She had learned that God is great and God is good and we should give thanks for the gifts God gives us like our daily bread. By spontaneously giving thanks she was expressing her love and gratitude and heartfelt faith in God.

That little girl had already learned a lesson that many adults have yet to learn. We talk about God giving his only begotten son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross. That's a great gift of a good God. And how do we thank God for it? Many times we thank God by forgetting to make Jesus a part of our lives beyond worship and Sunday School. Sometimes we, all of us, return thanks by being disobedient to the will of God.

People in Bible times were no different than us. They know that God is great and God is good. They may not have been taught that prayer but like us they had experienced the amazing Grace of God. Like us they had heard the testimony of God's greatness. They had even seen God's mighty works. The Psalmist who wrote Psalm 78 know of God's greatness and God's goodness. The Psalmist wrote about how the children of Israel had seen the miracles of God wrought in Egypt. How God had brought the plagues upon the Egyptians. And how God had preserved the Israelites from those plagues. The Psalmist also tells how God delivered them through the Red Sea from the hands of the Egyptians. They had seen the cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night. They knew God was great because of those miracles.

They also knew that God was good. God had been good enough to hear their cry in slavery and deliver them from bondage in Egypt. God could have left them there in slavery. But instead God chose to agree them. And God had given them good gifts. He gave them bread from heaven to nourish their bodies. And water form a rack to refresh them.

But they didn't give thanks for their food! Instead they grumbled. They complained that they would thirst to death in the wilderness. They persisted and said that they wanted some meat to eat. Instead of giving thanks they rebelled against their savior. In the words of the psalmist: "They did not keep God's covenant, but refused to walk according to his law. They forgot what He had done, and the miracles that he had shown them."

So what did God do? Well, God is great! What would any great self-respecting deity do in such a circumstance? Such a deity would rain down fire and brimstone on the children of Israel until every one of them was destroyed. Such a god would cause the earth to open up and swallow them whole. Such a great deity would erase the name of Israel from the pages of history. Their fate would be worse than that of Sodom and their destruction greater than that of Gomorrah.

But God is also good. God could have destroyed them. God could have left them in the desert to die of hunger and thirst. Instead God continued to feed them and save them. Instead of destroying them God made them prosper and grow. Instead of wiping their name from the pages of history, God made them a great people who still exist and are spoken of long after the Amorites and Pezzorites have ceased to exist.

This is the mercy of God. Despite the untruthfulness of the people of Israel and their rebellion, God continued to bless them. This is an example and proof of the kind of God we worship and serve. We serve a God who gives us all that we need. And even when we fail to give God the glory for those gifts God is still merciful and giving. God's goodness was greater than their badness.

People haven't changed much since then. God has given us such great gifts. We live in a country of riches. Even the poor in our country have it better then some people in other countries. America throws away more food each day that is needed to feed the hungry in our country. We are also blessed with freedoms that people in other parts of the world have to risk their lives to win.

And as Christians we have been blessed with gifts that are even greater than that. The greatest of these gifts is Jesus Christ our Lord, who came and died for our sins. We have also been granted forgiveness, which is a gift we could never have bought on our own. As the church we have been given the holy presence of God's spirit to sustain and guide us. And we have been given the testimony of the Bible and the witness of church tradition to reveal God's will to us.

But like the Israelites we have forgotten what God has done for us. Like them we fail to acknowledge God as Lord over everything God has given us. I knew a woman who inherited a house from her husband. She used to say the house was Jesus' house and that he just let her live there. People thought she was crazy, but she was right. All we have, even our breath, is a gift from God and we should thank God that he lets us use it. We know the saving power of Jesus in our lives but like Peter we act like we do not even know who Jesus is. We have been given a land flowing with milk and honey and yet we don't show any appreciation for its wealth or beauty. All we care about is what minerals we can extract from it and what waste we can dump in it.

So what does God do? What would you do if you were in God's shoes and you were faced with an unthankful people like the Israelites? Does God just give up and say, "forget you, you unthankful people." Does God choose to destroy us and leave us to our own sin?

No, excuse my English, but God is "gooder" than that. And thank God! We don't deserve the gifts we unthankfully receive. But that is the nature of God's mercy.

That little girl was right! God is great! God is good! Let us thank God for our food. By his hands we shall be fed. Give us Lord our daily bread. Amen