The King & His Kingdom: #94 - The Unfairness of God | Matthew 19:30-20:16

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Almighty God. [00:00:03] Speaker B: You welcome you. [00:00:06] Speaker C: Hey there. If you're new to Restored Church, we want to welcome you and thank you for tuning in. You're listening to a portion of our Sunday worship gathering. We believe the church is not an event, but a family you belong to. So we would love the opportunity to connect with you. If you want to learn more about our church or if we can help you in any way, please Visit our website, www.restoredtemecula.church and click on Contact. With all that said, we can. We hope you enjoy the message. [00:00:35] Speaker B: All right, well, before the game today, I thought we might, I don't know, open our Bibles and learn about the Kingdom of God. [00:00:42] Speaker A: Does that sound good? [00:00:44] Speaker B: Okay. We are jumping back into our series, the King and His Kingdom. We're going through Matthew's Gospel. Many of you are tired of hearing me say this intro, but I'm going to keep doing it because I want us to learn as much as we can while on the short, honestly, the. [00:01:00] Speaker A: Short time that we have on this earth, I want us to learn as much as we possibly can about the Kingdom of God and the king of that kingdom, Jesus Christ, because his leadership. [00:01:08] Speaker B: In your life will yield and result. [00:01:12] Speaker A: In things that are greater than you can imagine. He's the best leader that's ever been. [00:01:16] Speaker B: He's the only leader worth handing your life over to. And so we've been in this series for almost 100 weeks at this point, and we've taken breaks within those 100 weeks. So it's been more like probably closer to like 150 weeks. But this morning is, man, oh, man. This morning's passage is, I don't have enough time to cover all of the. [00:01:41] Speaker A: Goodness and all of the treasure, all. [00:01:43] Speaker B: Of the principles that we're gonna see here in this passage. I'm gonna do my best, but if you have a Bible, go ahead and grab it. I'm not gonna entertain you with an intro. I'm just gonna jump right in. Matthew, chapter 20. [00:01:53] Speaker A: You can flip there. [00:01:58] Speaker B: I'll be in the Christian Standard Bible. [00:02:00] Speaker A: This morning as per usual. So if you don't have a Bible or you have a different Bible, the worlds will be up on the screen. [00:02:05] Speaker B: But before I read God's Word out. [00:02:08] Speaker A: Loud, I just want to pray for our time, invite God's spirit to teach us, to guide us, to help us. And so I'd love it if you join me. Let's pray together. Holy Spirit, every single one of us right now, to the best of our ability, we posture ourselves physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, we posture ourselves. We want to be open to your leadership. We want to be open to hearing your voice. And just like that air conditioner just kicked on. We hear things in our spirit, but we know it's you from the temperature. And so I just pray for spiritual discernment this morning for all of us. Holy Spirit, show us more of the beauty of your kingdom, God and the glory of the king. Lead us, we pray. It's in your name, Jesus. Amen. [00:03:29] Speaker B: Okay, so if you've been journeying with us in this series, this is kind of going to be like another sequel. [00:03:34] Speaker A: In this section of Matthew, the last. [00:03:37] Speaker B: Several weeks, we've kind of been, we've been examining this one encounter that kind of has broken up into many different portions. But if you remember the story of the rich young ruler, we're still building off of that story, that encounter. This rich young man with authority shows up to Jesus and he says, what must I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus custom tailors this like this discipleship moment for this guy. And he really helps this guy see that the master of his life is. And this young man's not willing to. He's not willing to let go of, frankly, the idol of his heart, his possessions, his wealth, his money, and follow Jesus instead. And I just think about how often in my life I do the same thing. There's something that I ascribe ultimate worth to my life that isn't God. And in a moment of Holy Spirit conviction, I don't hand over the wheel to Jesus. I take it myself or I hand. [00:04:35] Speaker A: It over to some other lesser thing. You're just like me. And just like this rich young ruler. [00:04:39] Speaker B: He chooses his possessions and wealth over Jesus. Money's his master. It controlled him. And the disciples, they watch all this stuff go down, right? And then Peter says something. He goes, this guy walks away. And Peter goes to Jesus, he says, hey, Jesus, we've left everything to join you. Jesus, what do we get? And do you remember what Jesus, how. [00:05:01] Speaker A: Jesus replies to him? He talks to them about investments. [00:05:07] Speaker B: He says, everyone who invests in my kingdom is going to receive 100x return on their investment. But at the end of this last chapter, in verse 30 of chapter 19, he says, but many who are first. [00:05:22] Speaker A: Will be last and the last first. [00:05:25] Speaker B: I told you last week, we're going. [00:05:26] Speaker A: To touch on this this week because. [00:05:28] Speaker B: We'Re about to go through a parable. And this parable, it's bookended by that. [00:05:33] Speaker A: Phrase, that famous phrase. But many who are first will be last. And last first. [00:05:40] Speaker B: And so Jesus, to teach his disciples what he does is he tells them what he does. [00:05:46] Speaker A: Often he tells them a parable. [00:05:48] Speaker B: And what parables are. [00:05:49] Speaker A: They're. [00:05:50] Speaker B: They're stories. They're illustrations. And Jesus uses parables to teach his disciples and to confront them with things. You've heard me say this before, but I want you to think about parables like a window and a mirror. Parables are a window into what the kingdom of God is like. The rule and the reign of God is like, what it looks like when God gets his way. So you get this window of what the rule and reign of God is like. But it's also a mirror. It's a mirror that reveals the truth. [00:06:21] Speaker A: About the one looking into the mirror. [00:06:24] Speaker B: The truth of the one whose reflection you see. Cause I don't know if you're anything like me. Like, right now, I can't see my face. I don't know if I have, like a booger hanging out of my nose. I don't know if I have, like a breakout on my forehead. I don't know what I look like all the time. I need a mirror or I need. [00:06:39] Speaker A: Someone else to help me. You're just like me. [00:06:42] Speaker B: And so a parable is like a window into the kingdom and a mirror that reveals the truth of the one looking into it. And Jesus, he uses the mirror of. [00:06:54] Speaker A: A parable, if you will, to. [00:06:55] Speaker B: To hopefully bring some conviction in areas. [00:06:58] Speaker A: That need some convicting. [00:07:00] Speaker B: Because that conviction can then lead to repentance. Repentance is turning away from things that. [00:07:05] Speaker A: Aren'T God's way, aren't God's rule, aren't God's desires, and embracing his lordship, his kingdom once again. That's what Jesus agenda is in these parables. A window and a mirror. Okay, let's start. [00:07:19] Speaker B: But I want you to start chapter 20, verses 1 through 16 is our main passage this morning. But I want you to start in one verse earlier, at the end of chapter 19, starting in verse 30. Because he's gonna tell this parable, but it's bookended by that famous phrase. Look at verse 30. [00:07:34] Speaker A: I think you guys should have this for me. Beautiful. [00:07:38] Speaker B: So we're gonna go end of verse or end of chapter 19, starting in. [00:07:41] Speaker A: Verse 30, straight on through chapter 20. Cause they're connected. [00:07:46] Speaker B: Jesus says, but many who are first will be last. [00:07:49] Speaker A: And the last first. [00:07:52] Speaker B: For the kingdom of heaven is like. Here comes the parable. He just made the phrase first will be last, last will be first. For the kingdom of heaven is like. And he's going to try to teach. [00:08:00] Speaker A: His disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven and its king. [00:08:03] Speaker B: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner. [00:08:05] Speaker A: Everybody say landowner. Millennials. Doesn't include us. [00:08:10] Speaker B: Landover. [00:08:11] Speaker A: God bless me. I can't say that anymore. He's kind, but the economy is a joke. [00:08:16] Speaker B: For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the workers on one denarius, he sent them into his vineyard for the day. Okay, pause for a second. You have this landowner, he owns this land. There's a vineyard on that land. In a vineyard, what do you grow? [00:08:36] Speaker A: What crop? [00:08:38] Speaker B: Grapes. You guys are in Temecula, you should know that. Should have been much louder. Should have been grapes. Because we're the land of wine and grapes. Yes, a vineyard. [00:08:45] Speaker A: Grapes. [00:08:46] Speaker B: So those grapes, it's harvest time. It's time to get those grapes off those vines for the purposes of making. [00:08:53] Speaker A: All sorts of things, namely wine. [00:08:55] Speaker B: So the grapes, they're ready for harvest. The owner of the vineyard, guess who that symbolizes? God. [00:09:03] Speaker A: Right. [00:09:04] Speaker B: For from him and through him and to him are all things. The landowner. [00:09:09] Speaker A: It symbolizes God. [00:09:11] Speaker B: And this landowner goes out into the marketplace first thing in the morning. This would have been like 6am okay, sun's coming up. [00:09:18] Speaker A: And he goes out looking for workers to hire workers. Now, a little bit of context, really quickly. [00:09:24] Speaker B: These workers, they would typically, they'd work. [00:09:26] Speaker A: From sun up to sundown. [00:09:28] Speaker B: As long as there's light, they want to get work done. Because the harvest, when it's ready, you've got to get all the grapes or whatever you don't get is going to go bad and it's not going to be used. So 6am to 6pm that's the working day. Now, I want you to keep something in mind. [00:09:43] Speaker A: I'm going to keep reading in just. [00:09:44] Speaker B: A second, but this is. This is before, like, salaries were a thing. If you're old money, you're good to go. You have tons of wealth, you're fine if you don't. If you don't work, you don't eat. So you have these guys and they wanna get hired. They wanna provide for their families. And so they make themselves available. Okay? The workers, they would come and they would wait to be hired. They'd come to the marketplace and they'd have their tools. They'd be like, I'm here, and anybody who has money and needs things done, I'm your guy. I got a wife and a kids at home. I want to feed them. So please Hire me so that I can work. If they don't get hired, their families go hungry. [00:10:26] Speaker A: Okay? [00:10:26] Speaker B: So I don't want you to think that these are like lazy guys that. [00:10:29] Speaker A: Are just kind of like, okay, I'm. [00:10:31] Speaker B: Really doing anything with my life. [00:10:32] Speaker A: That's not the case at all. [00:10:34] Speaker B: Oftentimes these are very skilled workers even. [00:10:36] Speaker A: Okay. [00:10:37] Speaker B: And these are very motivated men who want to work now. In fact, the ones that get hired first thing in the morning, think of it, these are probably the best workers available. Like if you imagine you're the landowner and you have some work done, let's imagine you are, you have some work done at your house and you go to the marketplace and you see a slew of people. Who are you going to pick first? It's sort of like a. I don't know, it's like a draft of handymen. You're gonna pick the best, are you not? You're gonna pick the most skilled, the hardest working. Right. [00:11:17] Speaker A: The strongest. [00:11:19] Speaker B: So landowner goes out, hires some workers, and he makes an agreement with them. He said he's gonna pay them. [00:11:25] Speaker A: Did you catch what he said? He's gonna pay them one denarius. [00:11:30] Speaker B: That's basically a wage for the entire day. [00:11:33] Speaker A: Hear me? [00:11:34] Speaker B: That might not make sense. [00:11:35] Speaker A: In our kind of, you know, American economy and money, that's a good wage. That's a. Oh, you're gonna pay me a denarius for a day's work? Heck yeah. So these workers would have been stoked on this. [00:11:49] Speaker B: They would have been like, yes, like, we did it. We got chosen to make it a denarius for the day. Let's go, let's keep reading. [00:11:56] Speaker A: Verse 3. [00:11:59] Speaker B: When he, the landowner, went out about nine in the morning, he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He went out at 6, hired a group, goes back out, or goes back. [00:12:10] Speaker A: To the marketplace at 9. Interesting. Verse 4. And he hires another group. Verse 4. He said to them, you also go. [00:12:20] Speaker B: Into my vineyard and I'll give you whatever is right. [00:12:27] Speaker A: That's some kind of question marks there. [00:12:30] Speaker B: Whatever is right. [00:12:31] Speaker A: He doesn't say, I'll pay you a denarius. He doesn't say. He just, I'll pay you whatever's right. So off they went. [00:12:37] Speaker B: Verse five, about noon, and about three, he went out again and did the same thing. [00:12:42] Speaker A: Okay, so pause. [00:12:43] Speaker B: Landowner goes to the marketplace, hires guys at 6:00am probably the best guys, goes back, hires another group at 9am, hires another group at noon, hires another group at 3. So at this point he's hired four groups of workers. Now why wouldn't he just hire them all at the beginning? [00:13:04] Speaker A: Let's keep reading. Verse six. [00:13:07] Speaker B: Then about five, this is five p.m. he went and found others standing around. [00:13:13] Speaker A: And said to them, why have you been standing here all day doing nothing? Look at what they said. Verse 7. Because no one has hired us. They said to him, you also go into my vineyard. He told them, okay, so he doesn't. [00:13:27] Speaker B: Just stop with four groups. At 5pm, literally the 11th hour, right? [00:13:37] Speaker A: An hour before sundown, he goes and hires another group. Verse 8. When evening came, the owner of the. [00:13:48] Speaker B: Vineyard told his foreman, call the workers. [00:13:51] Speaker A: And give them their pay, starting with the last and ending with the first. [00:13:58] Speaker B: When those who were hired about five. [00:14:01] Speaker A: Came to the last group, worked an hour. When they came, they each received one denarius. So when the first ones came, they. [00:14:14] Speaker B: Assumed they would get more, but they. [00:14:18] Speaker A: Also received a denarius each. So you get the picture here. [00:14:22] Speaker B: The guys that showed up at 5pm Got paid a denarius, a full day's wage. And the guys that agreed to that, at the very beginning, 12 hour day, they're stoked, they got paid the same. Verse 11. When that first group, the all dayers, let's call them, when they received it. [00:14:42] Speaker A: They began to complain to the landowner. [00:14:48] Speaker B: These last men put in one hour and you made them equal to us, who bore the burden of the day's work and the burning heat. Okay, so get the picture here. Some of you are going, some of you are already like, this is not okay. That first group workers spent all day working 12 hours in the sun. They get upset, they complain to the landowner because each of the other groups worked less hours, yet were paid a full day's wage. [00:15:15] Speaker A: Verse 13. He the landowner replied to one of them, friend, I'm doing you no wrong. Didn't you agree with me on a denarius? Take what's yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I'm generous? So the last will be first and the first will be last. Let's talk about the workers for just a second. Why did they go to the marketplace to get work? Why did they go to get work? Because they have needs. These workers need. [00:16:20] Speaker B: They were in need. And here's the thing, everybody knew it. You see someone show up to the marketplace at 5:45, waiting for the sun's coming up. Anybody who sees them, they're like, that. [00:16:34] Speaker A: Person is in need. [00:16:35] Speaker B: It's a public thing. It's not like a hidden thing. [00:16:38] Speaker A: No, no. [00:16:38] Speaker B: Everybody sees it. They physically. These workers, they physically position themselves as to reveal to everyone, I'm in need. I'm willing to work. [00:16:48] Speaker A: I have. [00:16:48] Speaker B: I'm in need. [00:16:52] Speaker A: I'm always shocked at how much effort we, as modern Christians put into looking like we have it all together. [00:17:02] Speaker B: Do you realize, like, being a Christian outs you as someone who has significant needs that you cannot acquire for yourself? But yet, how often is our response. [00:17:15] Speaker A: To, hey, how's it going? Fine. Everything's fine. Everything's fine. Don't ask me any more questions. I don't want to get into a conversation. I do not want to disclose what's. [00:17:26] Speaker B: I don't want to share with you. [00:17:27] Speaker A: What my needs are. Everything's fine. When in reality, it's like, dude, my marriage is not in good shape. This morning. We got a big fight. My kids. [00:17:38] Speaker B: I'm worried and anxious about the future. [00:17:40] Speaker A: Of my kids, or I actually have some secret sin in my life. Like, I'm repeating these same things over. [00:17:46] Speaker B: I thought I could kick it, but I'm not. [00:17:48] Speaker A: And I keep going back to it, and it's not. [00:17:51] Speaker B: I know it's not good, but I keep doing it anyway because in the moment, I want to, and it feels good, but then I feel guilty, and. [00:18:01] Speaker A: I'm actually really jealous of my neighbor. They have things that I don't have that I want, that I envy. Why can't I have what they have? But everything's fine. I was in New York City this week for a prayer conference with a bunch of the leaders in the church and some of the staff. And. And one of the things that was really cool was there were moments when different ministers invited people to respond to God's word being presented, the truth about who he is and how that applies to areas of life and ministry and leadership. [00:18:50] Speaker B: And it was really, really. It was a really unique environment because so many of the leaders who carry. [00:18:57] Speaker A: A lot of weight in the church. [00:18:58] Speaker B: Globally would, like, literally get out of their chair, come forward, and go, like, minister to me. Pray for me. [00:19:03] Speaker A: I'm in need. [00:19:04] Speaker B: I'm in hell. I need help, like, on an altar call, not necessarily to receive Jesus for the first time, but, like, I need help. I need help outside of myself, you know? [00:19:21] Speaker A: And if I'm honest, the reason why I'm sharing that with you is because oftentimes I'm in other environments where the same thing happens and, like, 5% of the room comes forward and goes, I'm in need. Help me. Pray for me. And I'm like, why? What's different? Youth in the room. I'm so, like, awe of you guys and proud of you. [00:19:58] Speaker B: I don't know if I'm the only. [00:19:59] Speaker A: One who notices, but, like, every week, we try to provide opportunities for people to receive prayer and ministry from the Spirit of God through other people in prayer time after the message. If you've been journeying with us, you know that's common. And one of the things that fires me up and goes like, oh, there's hope for the future, is because oftentimes, not every time, but most of the time, the first 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 people coming forward are people who cannot buy alcohol. [00:20:31] Speaker B: They're literally. They're the youngest ones in the room and yet arguably some of the most spiritually aware and maybe even spiritually mature. Cause they're going, I'm in need. Everything's not fine. And I actually don't care that much if people see that everything's not fine in my life. [00:20:53] Speaker A: Youth, bless you. [00:20:55] Speaker B: If you keep that posture of humility. [00:20:57] Speaker A: God will exalt you. [00:20:59] Speaker B: He will do things in your life that no man can do. [00:21:03] Speaker A: Keep it going. [00:21:03] Speaker B: Adults, they're not the only ones. So many of you operate in humility. But I just want to tell you, like, the altar's open for everybody, like, the kingdom. Jesus, you're going to see this. He's inviting everybody. He's inviting you. [00:21:21] Speaker A: Everything's not fine, though. [00:21:24] Speaker B: And my question is, are we really not in need? [00:21:26] Speaker A: Or are we just blind to our neediness? Or worse yet, are we trying to hide? Hear me. One of the most beautiful things in. [00:21:37] Speaker B: This parable is that this parable teaches. [00:21:38] Speaker A: Us something really important, and that is this. If you're taking notes, the kingdom of God is for the needy. [00:21:44] Speaker B: Like, that's who it's for. The kingdom of God is for those who need. Like, I'm needy. If I don't work, I don't eat, and I cannot make it happen myself. But I will position myself physically, emotionally, spiritually. I'm in need, and I'm relying on help outside of myself to meet those needs. The kingdom of God is for the needy. It's for those who need what they cannot acquire on their own. Now, hear me, some of you. You want the kingdom of God in your life? [00:22:11] Speaker A: Yes. [00:22:12] Speaker B: Amen. I want to fan that into flame, keep that desire alive. You want it, but you're missing out on the blessings of the kingdom of God in your life because you're Hiding. [00:22:20] Speaker A: You're pretending everything's fine, everything's fine, we're good. Meanwhile, you are spiritually in bad shape. This parable tells us the kingdom of God is for the needy. Now, there's another thing that's just fascinating to me. It's awesome, actually. [00:22:46] Speaker B: It says that the landowner kept coming back throughout the day. He didn't just do, like, one draft, right? He keeps coming back throughout the day. And each time he did, he found people in that were still waiting. Now, question. Why would they keep waiting all day? Some of them up until, like, the last hour of the day? Why would they keep waiting all day? And why would the landowner keep coming back? [00:23:20] Speaker A: The answer to both of those questions is the same. Because those people were desperate. They're desperate. [00:23:29] Speaker B: You don't stand around waiting at the chance, hoping that you could get hired and your needs can be met. You don't stand around all day unless you are desperate. Listen, I'll just work for an hour. Give me an hour. What's minimum wage now? What's an hourly minimum wage in California now? [00:23:47] Speaker A: 16. [00:23:48] Speaker B: 16. [00:23:49] Speaker A: Okay, cool. [00:23:49] Speaker B: So you can buy a pack of gum with that. [00:23:51] Speaker A: At this point. [00:23:53] Speaker B: I will stand around waiting all day at the. Just get. I'll work for an hour. You only do that. Hear me? If you are desperate. I can't help but wonder, like, I read this stuff and I go, like, man, I want to put myself in the story. And I'm like, I can't help but wonder, guys, how many workers went home. [00:24:14] Speaker A: After the first round? Dang it. [00:24:19] Speaker B: They picked Mike and Herrick and Mark and Tracy and Dora. Okay, first. [00:24:23] Speaker A: First. Okay. I'm not skilled enough. That's it. I had my shot. I wasn't selected. I'm out. [00:24:35] Speaker B: Or maybe not after the first round. Maybe after the second round. You know, it's like. Like, I think. I mean, we could all maybe agree on this. Like, if when you're a kid and, you know, like, it's PE or something and they're picking teams or there's some form of selection selecting people in some area of life, and you're like, oh, I'm not really being picked. And just that feeling of, like, exclusion or do you know what I'm talking about? Like, that's hard. [00:25:03] Speaker A: It doesn't matter how old you are. [00:25:04] Speaker B: That doesn't really change. [00:25:05] Speaker A: It's hard. [00:25:05] Speaker B: You feel awful. But I can't. [00:25:10] Speaker A: After the second round, still didn't pick me. After the third round, still didn't pick me. [00:25:15] Speaker B: The only reason you stay there is if you're desperate. [00:25:24] Speaker A: Question for you. And this is just like an honest question. You don't have to answer out loud or anything. I want you to like, I want you to answer to yourself though. Like, give yourself an answer. [00:25:32] Speaker B: What do you do when God doesn't. [00:25:33] Speaker A: Meet your needs and the timing you prefer? If you're anything like me, I have some opinions about the timing with which God should meet my needs. What do we do when his timing doesn't align with ours? Do we press in? I'm not going home desperate. Do we press in or do we take our needs somewhere else? These people, they kept waiting because they were desperate. And it says that the landowner kept. [00:26:18] Speaker B: Coming back and he kept hiring more people. Not only that, but he pays them a full day's wage when they only worked an hour. [00:26:28] Speaker A: Hour? Why? Because an hour of pay wouldn't have met the need. Are you seeing it? [00:26:40] Speaker B: Do you realize what that means? [00:26:44] Speaker A: Note takers, next point. It means this. [00:26:46] Speaker B: God knows what you need and he. [00:26:48] Speaker A: Is a generous provider. [00:26:50] Speaker B: He knows what you need and he's a generous provider. [00:26:54] Speaker A: Okay, friend, question for you. [00:26:56] Speaker B: Where do you bring your neediness? Where do you bring your neediness? You all have needs. We all have needs. And we're all bringing them somewhere in hopes that they will be met. Because we all need help outside of ourselves. If we were all perfect, we wouldn't have needs and we'd be totally self content. We'd be God, we'd be the Trinity. [00:27:19] Speaker A: But none of us are. [00:27:20] Speaker B: Where do you bring your needs? [00:27:22] Speaker A: Cause you bring it somewhere. [00:27:24] Speaker B: And hear me, it's not just like a financial thing. We can include finances. I know money is tight for everybody. I get it, money is an issue. [00:27:30] Speaker A: But I'm not just talking about finances. It's much deeper than this. [00:27:36] Speaker B: Let me share with you a couple. [00:27:37] Speaker A: Different things that I've noticed in my life. [00:27:38] Speaker B: Sometimes, sometimes life gets really hard, dare I say, really uncomfortable. [00:27:44] Speaker A: And I found myself going, I want ice cream. And then I will go get ice cream. [00:27:53] Speaker B: Now listen, there's nothing wrong with ice cream. Can I get an amen? Ice cream is a gift from the Lord. [00:27:58] Speaker A: Okay, if you want to get specific. Coffee flavored frozen yogurt is like third heaven's gift from the Lord. [00:28:07] Speaker B: Like. But, but, but I'm just being real with you. Okay, listen, listen. [00:28:11] Speaker A: I know it sounds trivial and silly, but how often does my soul, desperate for comfort and I run to food. Am I the only person who's ever done this? I guess so. Okay. Yeah. I see that hand. I see that hand. I See that hand. More often than I'd like. I have counseled young women who are struggling with eating disorders. There's stuff going on inside them. There's deep needs. And every single one of them are bringing their needs someplace they ought not. It influences them to do things to themselves that aren't good for themselves. I've been guilty in my life of putting other people down because I have the need to feel, feel, I don't know, important. We all have stuff like that. We all have needs that in and of themselves aren't bad. Where we bring them to is not worthy of us bringing those needs there. And when we do, we. We start to behave in ways that are self destructive and destructive in the lives of other people. Are you seeing this? This one's a little sillier, but. About a decade ago, I stopped watching reality television. I cannot, it's whatever, but the reason. [00:30:20] Speaker B: I stopped watching reality TV was because I realized why I was watching it. At a heart level, I would have told you, oh, this is entertaining, it's funny, whatever, But I'm not trying to associate it if you have the spiritual. [00:30:34] Speaker A: Maturity to handle it. I noticed a decade ago I didn't. And it's because of why I watched it, because I wanted to watch people being foolish so I could feel superior to them. [00:30:45] Speaker B: Like, that was actually what was going on in my heart. The reason why it was entertaining isn't cause it's fun to watch people do stupid things. It's actually like, it actually can cause you to cringe, like, oh my gosh, this person, like this poor person. They're being filmed at some of the worst moments in their life and everybody gets to see it. And I realize, like, why am I drawn to that? Like, why do I want to go, oh, I want to watch the next episode? For me, I'm not saying for you. I'm just confessing to you. For me, it was, I like feeling superior. I like feeling like I'm not as bad as I thought I was before I watched it. [00:31:26] Speaker A: I was bringing my need to cover. [00:31:28] Speaker B: Up my shame, my own shame. I was bringing that need to reality tv. [00:31:40] Speaker A: Shame is pervasive in human beings. We do all sorts of things because we have this need to cover up our shame. [00:31:51] Speaker B: For me, a decade ago, it was. [00:31:53] Speaker A: Reality TV fills the bill or fits the bill. Cover up my shame. Some of you, the reason that your work ethic is so strong, the reason. [00:32:02] Speaker B: You'Ll work all day in the blazing. [00:32:04] Speaker A: Sun, if you will, following the lines of this parable, is because of Your. [00:32:09] Speaker B: Need to cover up the shame in other areas. Maybe it's bad choices you've made, maybe it's sin, maybe it's things done to you. Maybe it's like you want this area in your life to be impressive because. [00:32:24] Speaker A: This area of your life is pretty unclean. [00:32:28] Speaker B: There's all guys, there's literally hundreds of. [00:32:31] Speaker A: Stories in this room right now. [00:32:33] Speaker B: What is it for you? [00:32:37] Speaker A: Where do you bring your needs because you have them? Some of you are afraid to acknowledge just how needy you are. That's a shame. But the truth is, we're all needy. Where do you bring your practical needs? Where do you bring your emotional needs? God knows what you need and he's a generous provider. Can I just tell you? Like, look at this parable. He knows what you need and he's really the only one that can meet it. He knows what you need. He's a generous provider. Michael Green says this quote. [00:33:25] Speaker B: There's something strange about this employer. He really cares about the down and outs. He could have sent. [00:33:34] Speaker A: Oh I love this. [00:33:35] Speaker B: He could have sent an employee to. [00:33:37] Speaker A: The job center, to the marketplace. Instead, he goes out himself. [00:33:43] Speaker B: Indeed, he goes out repeatedly to seek them. [00:33:47] Speaker A: They are hungry, unemployed, and as the. [00:33:50] Speaker B: Day wears on, increasingly hopeless. [00:33:52] Speaker A: He cares about that. End quote. Now listen, at times it can be. [00:34:00] Speaker B: A struggle to believe that God cares about your needs. When your circumstances are not great and it's been a while you've been waiting, it can be really difficult. It can be a struggle to believe that God cares about your needs. But I just want to tell you, this parable is a full on, like outright assault on that lie. This parable says, anytime a human being believes that God doesn't care about their needs, that does not agree with the word of God. God does care about your needs. He knows what you need and he's a generous provider. And it gets even better. Look again at verse 6. Then about 5 5pm he went and found others standing around and said to them, why have you been standing here all day doing nothing? Verse 7. [00:34:46] Speaker A: Because no one hired us. They said to him, you also go into my vineyard. He told them, no one hired us. No one hired us. I wonder why. Another quote for you, N.T. wright. He says this quote, we need to. [00:35:09] Speaker B: Look a bit more closely at the. [00:35:10] Speaker A: Last group of workers, the ones who. [00:35:14] Speaker B: Were hired when only one hour of the day was left. [00:35:16] Speaker A: Listen to this. [00:35:17] Speaker B: It is curious. We may suppose that they hadn't been spotted before. Had they not been in the marketplace earlier, the vineyard owner questions them. Why haven't you been working? Their answer is revealing. [00:35:30] Speaker A: Nobody has hired us. [00:35:32] Speaker B: Nobody has given us a job. [00:35:33] Speaker A: Listen to this. Nobody, in other words, wanted them. [00:35:39] Speaker B: They were perhaps the sort of people. [00:35:42] Speaker A: Everybody tried not to hire, but the landowner hired them and paid them the same as the people who had been slaving away all day in the heat of the sun. End quote. What does that mean? That means when nobody else wanted them, the landowner did. Next point. God wants the unwanted. Some of you let that sink deeply into your heart. Uh huh. God wants the unwanted. [00:36:29] Speaker B: In between the times when we were putting on the mask and everything's fine. In between those times, you and I have felt that sting, that like, that I'm unwanted. You know exactly what that feels like. If you're a human being and you've been alive for more than a year. Like, you know that feeling of being unwanted. You ever felt unwanted? You ever felt left out, undesired, not good enough. Don't measure up. Pick last. You're the last resort. [00:37:03] Speaker A: You ever felt that way? [00:37:05] Speaker B: Maybe you're not as skilled as other people. Maybe you're not as gifted as other people. Maybe you're not as smart or as attractive or as connected. Maybe you're not in the in crowd. You know that sting of rejection. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Cause we've all felt it. I'm here to tell you what this parable tells you. [00:37:21] Speaker A: And it's this. [00:37:21] Speaker B: There's a God in heaven. He's real, okay? And He's a glorious king. He's the king of the truest and most real kingdom that there is. And he rule and reigns over a glorious kingdom. And he is literally the supreme being in the universe. Everything exists because he spoke it into existence. He's got more power, he's got more resources. He's the most famous, he's the most important. He's the most glorious being that exists. And I'm here to tell you, like, listen to this. This is crazy. [00:37:51] Speaker A: He wants you. [00:37:56] Speaker B: Not just the person sitting next to you, not just the person that you live with or the people that you. [00:38:02] Speaker A: Live with, he wants you. And get this, he wants you not at your best. [00:38:12] Speaker B: There's a reason you didn't get picked first. And despite all of your imperfections, despite all of the ways that you're not perfect, that you're not supreme, he still says I am want you. [00:38:30] Speaker A: Do you believe that? I bet you don't. [00:38:34] Speaker B: I bet most people in the room do not believe that right now. You hear me say it and you can Receive it for other people and you go, yeah, I get it. For others, the gospel is true. [00:38:42] Speaker A: For other people. [00:38:43] Speaker B: But do you believe it for you. [00:38:49] Speaker A: Oh Lord, that we might believe it before we leave this room? He wants you. He desires you. He wouldn't have come if he didn't. You starting to see it? Listen, this parable, it applies to all. [00:39:11] Speaker B: Of your practical needs. [00:39:12] Speaker A: Absolutely right. [00:39:13] Speaker B: But it's so much deeper than that. This parable is a picture of what God has done in Jesus. [00:39:22] Speaker A: Do you see it? [00:39:23] Speaker B: It's a parable of what God has done in Jesus. He sees just how needy you are. He sees your needs better than you do. He sees just how needy you are, even if you can't see it yourself. He sees you in your hiding. He sees you in your masking. He sees you in your brokenness and your disappointment and your worries and your anxieties. He sees you in your sin, sometimes even in your rebellion. He sees you in the. Like what sin has done to you. [00:39:53] Speaker A: But he wants you and he does something about it. [00:39:57] Speaker B: This parable, it's a picture of the landowner of heaven, right? Who goes out himself, seeks out the. [00:40:06] Speaker A: Needy. [00:40:08] Speaker B: The ones like me, who have no shot apart from Jesus. [00:40:15] Speaker A: It's grace. [00:40:18] Speaker B: It's like, totally undeserved. [00:40:22] Speaker A: What is, man, that you're mindful of him? Lord. [00:40:28] Speaker B: There'S not much I have that I could offer him. Like, I don't have this, like, amazing resume that goes, I'm worthy of being chosen. [00:40:37] Speaker A: Like, check this out. [00:40:38] Speaker B: I got none of that. [00:40:40] Speaker A: It's grace. [00:40:43] Speaker B: He goes out himself, seeking the needy to generously provide what they could never. [00:40:48] Speaker A: Acquire on their own. That's your story. [00:40:55] Speaker B: If you're in Christ, that's your story. [00:40:58] Speaker A: He sought you out in your brokenness and your neediness. He's generous and he's good and he's kind. It's the gospel of Jesus Christ, that God would leave his throne in heaven. [00:41:12] Speaker B: And come to provide that with which. [00:41:14] Speaker A: You could never provide for yourself, a perfect righteousness and to die a substitutionary death in your place, so that the justice of God could be poured out for sin, because evil deserves to be punished. And yet he takes it upon himself, satisfying and meeting our greatest need. He's so good. [00:41:44] Speaker B: So you can imagine those last four waves of workers just going like, this is incredible. This is awesome. I'll work for you every day, landowner, whatever you want me to do. This is incredible. [00:41:59] Speaker A: But then you got the first wave of workers, don't you? [00:42:06] Speaker B: Now, in the parable, they're not exactly. [00:42:08] Speaker A: Happy about how all this has gone down. Okay. [00:42:11] Speaker B: I don't know if you caught it. It says that they're complaining. They're like, listen, I know that like our original agreement was that you were being really generous with me in this agreement we had of, you know, like the denarius for a day. That's really kind and good and I was excited about it. But then I saw how you were engaging with other people and then my entitlement kicked in and I felt like, well, because you did that for them, you should do this for me because I've done so much and so they start to complain. That's not fair. I remember being a kid, me and. [00:42:46] Speaker A: Mark, all the time. [00:42:47] Speaker B: And I remember my parents just getting so tired of us saying, but that's not fair. [00:42:58] Speaker A: And I remember at least a couple. [00:42:59] Speaker B: Times, and graciously, my parents weren't perfect. [00:43:01] Speaker A: But they were awesome. They were like, life's not fair. There's truth to that. Right now there's something even more profound than what I just shared with you in this. [00:43:14] Speaker B: These first workers, they're complaining. That's not fair. Listen, they're right. [00:43:21] Speaker A: They'Re not wrong. That's not fair. Listen to me. Grace is never fair. Do you see? [00:43:31] Speaker B: Like, do you realize grace is never fair. Like the workers, the next wave workers, they get way more than they deserve, right? They're stoked. Listen, the landowner gives way more than he owes. Grace is never fair. [00:43:55] Speaker A: Note takers, next point. Listen to this. God is never unfair except to himself. So much of my life, I'm so self centered, guys. [00:44:15] Speaker B: That'S not fair. [00:44:18] Speaker A: And God's going, I know it's costing me a lot. Am I the only person who. My default position in the morning is a life centered around me? Ugh, I hate it. And I want it. I want it to, I want my, I want to decrease so that he can increase. Right? God is never unfair except to himself. The truth about life is that God has been gracious to everyone. [00:44:49] Speaker B: Even the first workers. He selected them, he didn't have to. He owed them nothing. And yet he selects them. He chooses them to meet their need. And he's generous even in that. [00:45:10] Speaker A: I think some of the most. [00:45:14] Speaker B: We talk about salvation in the church. Salvation, it means freedom. [00:45:21] Speaker A: And I can honestly say that some. [00:45:24] Speaker B: Of the most profound and deepest experiences, like actually feeling and experience freedom and. [00:45:31] Speaker A: Salvation in my life is when my. [00:45:34] Speaker B: Mind and my heart, my internal being, actually honestly takes on the posture of God. [00:45:41] Speaker A: You owe me nothing. [00:45:46] Speaker B: Which is true. Like it's what's true. And when my inner person, when I'm actually, like, grabbing ahold of that and I actually can, like, get there. [00:45:56] Speaker A: God, you owe me nothing. [00:45:57] Speaker B: That truth, what it does is it starts to produce and promote gratitude in me. That feels fantastic. Like, it feels so good. If you're anything like me, I will try to do things and, like, maneuver things and try to, like, make a way so I can feel that instead of just bringing the need to Jesus, recognizing what's true and going, oh, he doesn't owe me anything. Therefore everything that he gives me is grace, and it's generous. And gratitude starts to bubble up in me. What it does is it kills that, like, entitlement thing that all of us struggle with, especially in the west, we. [00:46:39] Speaker A: Feel entitled to things. [00:46:41] Speaker B: Do you know, anything good that happens in a sinful, fallen world is literally God intervening with grace to give you something good. The trajectory of a fallen world is disaster and division and destruction. When anything that isn't that happens. [00:46:59] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh, it's in his intervening grace. [00:47:07] Speaker B: And I just like reading this this week and praying through this. And, like, how much time in my life have I put on the uniform. [00:47:15] Speaker A: Of that first wave of workers, like, entitled to comfortable life for Fill in the blank. Easy. I just remember, like, God's never unfair except to himself. Finally, we come to the famous line, the book ends this parable. In verse 16, it says, so the last will be first and the first. Last. What does that even mean? Douglas? Sean o' Donnell says this quote, the last are those picked last in this parable because no one else wants them. [00:48:24] Speaker B: No one else thinks they're worthy or. [00:48:26] Speaker A: Sorry. [00:48:27] Speaker B: No one else thinks they're worth hiring. [00:48:29] Speaker A: Or worth investing in. They are the ignoble, the unskilled, the oldest. Allow me to insert. Or the youngest, the weakest, the least. [00:48:46] Speaker B: The likely. I'm sorry, yeah, the likely, least productive. [00:48:50] Speaker A: And thus the ignored. But the owner of the vineyard, that is God, values the least of these. [00:48:59] Speaker B: The first are those believers. [00:49:03] Speaker A: They are Christians as well, who, due. [00:49:06] Speaker B: To their status, wealth, power, talent, beauty, success, fame, or any other trait deemed valuable to the world, are much esteemed. [00:49:18] Speaker A: By the world and often also within the church. Don't get me started on that. They are. Listen to this. [00:49:26] Speaker B: They are first in the eyes of. [00:49:27] Speaker A: Man, but not necessarily in the eyes of God. End quote. [00:49:33] Speaker B: Here's what he's saying. He's saying being first in the eyes of man is different than being first. [00:49:38] Speaker A: In the eyes of God. [00:49:40] Speaker B: He's saying the way that you see People and the way that you rank people and the way that you order people and the importance you put on them. I see things differently. The kingdom of God, it sees things differently. Why? [00:49:53] Speaker A: Because God sees the heart. He sees the heart. He cares so much about your heart, friend. It's the wellspring of life. [00:50:03] Speaker B: The king is concerned about your heart. [00:50:14] Speaker A: Super bowl, it's today. There's going to be. Man, there's going to be tons of resources poured into this. [00:50:20] Speaker B: There's going to be so many eyeballs watching this. Some of you are gonna be emotionally in this thing and you want your team to win. [00:50:29] Speaker A: I'm fine with rooting for your team. I love sports. Sports are. [00:50:31] Speaker B: I think. [00:50:32] Speaker A: I genuinely believe sport is a gift from the Lord. It's an environment for discipleship and growth. That is just. It's so valuable. [00:50:41] Speaker B: But many of us, dare I say all of us, you're gonna be tuning into this game and it's gonna go back and forth. Hopefully it's not a blowout. [00:50:49] Speaker A: Blowout. Super bowl is the worst. [00:50:53] Speaker B: But eventually the clock's gonna run out and someone is going to be first place. Someone's gonna win. How do we know who wins? [00:51:06] Speaker A: Say it. [00:51:08] Speaker B: Yeah. You look up onto the scoreboard and you see who's in first place, who wins, right? You look to the scoreboard to determine who's victorious. We're in the middle of the Olympics, right? Anybody else watching the Olympics? [00:51:22] Speaker A: I love the Olympics, man. [00:51:24] Speaker B: Anybody like winter more than summer Olympics? [00:51:27] Speaker A: Handful of you? [00:51:28] Speaker B: Yeah, I kind of go back and forth, man. [00:51:30] Speaker A: I was watching ski racing last night. [00:51:32] Speaker B: And I was just going, these guys. [00:51:32] Speaker A: Are going 100 miles an hour. [00:51:34] Speaker B: If they fall, they die. [00:51:36] Speaker A: It's nuts. [00:51:38] Speaker B: But there's all these events, and these really gifted athletes, they train their bodies. They spend years and years and years for that. Like, one more moment. It's incredible. The pressure's on. And there's all these various different events, right? You have events that are more like race based. Like, as in timing, right? And if you wanna know who won the race, you gotta look to the leaderboard. It's like their version of a scoreboard, okay? And then there's other sports. Like, I was watching women's hockey with my daughter. [00:52:10] Speaker A: Those chicks are tough, dude. [00:52:13] Speaker B: I'm watching this. And again, there's gonna be scoring happening at the end of the match. You have to look again, like football, you gotta look to the scoreboard to see who wins, right? And there's other events, and these ones are a little bit more tricky because there's other events where the participants are judged. Like, there's a panel of judges and they gotta give them a score based on the difficulty and the style. And you guys know what I'm talking about. This would be like figure skating in the summertime. It would be like gymnastics. At the end of those events, there's not a scoreboard, there's a scorecard. So you have a scoreboard, a scorecard, a leaderboard. They're all functionally the same thing. [00:52:58] Speaker A: Friends, what Jesus is saying here is really profound. [00:53:02] Speaker B: And it will change your life if. [00:53:03] Speaker A: You actually yield to it. [00:53:06] Speaker B: He's saying that the kingdom of heaven has a different scoreboard than the kingdom of earth. Like, some of you are enamored with earthly scoreboards. Like, your emotional state ebbs and flows and you're looking at an earthly scoreboard. Jesus is saying, the kingdom of heaven. [00:53:24] Speaker A: God has a different scoreboard than man does. Why? Heaven looks at the heart. [00:53:33] Speaker B: Heaven looks at the heart. [00:53:35] Speaker A: Listen to me. I don't want to sound like I don't care. [00:53:40] Speaker B: It's going to sound cheesy and I don't care. Like, you really were made for greatness. Like, not self help. Not like it's in your DNA. Like God created you to do great things, spectacular things. The kind of things where people look at it and go, wow, that's amazing. That's greatness. You were made for this, friend. Deep inside you. Listen, people, they live their lives and they put so much effort, so much work and hard work and effort is wonderful. Don't get me wrong. But the problem is, far too often we base our lives on earthly scoreboards instead of heavens. And Jesus goes, if you're doing that, you're totally missing it. You're actually deceived. Do you realize, like the Bible says, there is a greater greatness? There's a greater great, like a superior greatness that you were made for that you know deep down inside you were meant to, like, fulfill a great purpose. There's a greater greatness, a superior greatness. And the day is coming. Jesus says, when the first everybody looks at those earthly scoreboards and goes, wow. He goes, there's a day coming when. [00:55:06] Speaker A: What you call first will be last. [00:55:09] Speaker B: And what you're currently calling last. [00:55:14] Speaker A: You're gonna see their glory. Do you realize what this is saying? [00:55:21] Speaker B: There's a transcendent glory. There's an eternal glory. [00:55:30] Speaker A: Listen, are you enamored with an earthly scoreboard? Like, Some of you, your earthly scoreboard is really impressive. That's not in and of itself a bad Thing. [00:55:48] Speaker B: Having an impressive earthly scoreboard does not. [00:55:51] Speaker A: Equate to a heavenly scoreboard not being stellar. They're just two different things. But some of you, you have a very impressive earthly scoreboard. But maybe, just maybe, you're not really paying attention to the heavenly scoreboard. You're not paying attention to the only scoreboard that really matters. Do you know, a year, not even a year, a million years from now, no one's going to be talking about who won the game this afternoon. Patriots. Tom Brady. How many rings does Tom Brady have? Did anybody know? Like, a lot. He's the goat, right? [00:56:45] Speaker B: Seven. [00:56:45] Speaker A: Dude, that's greatness. [00:56:49] Speaker B: That scoreboard. [00:56:52] Speaker A: He'S better than. I can't do that. I can't. But I'm here to tell you there's eternal greatness. That is so far. I'm going to make a hot take. No one's going to be talking about Tom Brady's rings. In a million years, if you're in Christ, you're going to be alive. There's a greater greatness, and you're made for it. [00:57:19] Speaker B: You were literally created for it. [00:57:27] Speaker A: Earthly scoreboards are not eternal. The kingdom of Heaven has a different scoreboard than the kingdom of Earth. Can I just say this, too? Like, greatness in the eyes of man is different than greatness in the eyes of God. That's what we're talking about, right? Nowhere does this play out more spectacularly than the cross of Jesus Christ. [00:58:00] Speaker B: Like, think about it. [00:58:03] Speaker A: You have a man hanging on a cross. He's being executed by the state. He's been betrayed by all the people closest to him. [00:58:16] Speaker B: Earth's scoreboard is like, loser defeated. He's dead. Look at him. Your messiah's dead. What's the heavenly scorecard say? Greatness. Like, is there any supreme greatness? Victory. Do you see how these scoreboards, they're totally different. And so oftentimes we get enamored with these earthly scoreboards that are actually deceptive. But there's a transcendent scoreboard. The kingdom of Heaven has a different scoreboard. [00:58:49] Speaker A: Kingdom of Earth. My question for you this morning, amongst many, is, do you even know what scorecard, what scoreboard, what leaderboard you are paying most attention to in your life? Like, do you know, here's one indicator. When the gymnast is doing their routine or the figure skater is doing their routine? You guys, that was a good move. Whose approval are they seeking? Whoever's judging them. That's how you'll know. Whose score are you looking for? [00:59:40] Speaker B: Whose verdict? [00:59:42] Speaker A: Who are you trying to please? If you're trying to please other people, that's an earthly scoreboard. But if you're living to bring pleasure to the true judge of the universe, that's a heavenly scoreboard. And here's what's crazy. That same judge is the landowner who came for you because he wanted you. Not because you do the best. What are they even called, spins and twirls. Not because you're the strongest, not because you're the brightest, not because you're the fill in the blank, but because he wants you. All right, Ben, would you come up? I'm going to close. I'm hoping that when you watch the Super Bowl. [01:00:43] Speaker B: Actually, here's what I'm hoping. I'm hoping that whenever you watch a sporting event and you see a scoreboard. [01:00:49] Speaker A: Or a scorecard or a leaderboard, that it triggers something in you, that those are all lesser scoreboards in your life. And there's a supreme, important scoreboard, and it's the scoreboard of heaven. [01:00:59] Speaker B: And what's cool about the scoreboard of. [01:01:01] Speaker A: Heaven is that it's not based on actually your performance. That's the best part about it. The scoreboard in heaven actually just. It doesn't actually read numbers. It says, Jesus, his performance, his execution, his perfection, credited to you and to I. Do you believe that? I want to believe it every moment I'm alive. But you're just like me. Because we have needs in our life and we want those needs to be met. And sometimes we have to wait longer than we think we should. Those workers in the parable, do you identify with any of them? Like, which one are you? [01:02:10] Speaker B: If you're anything like me, it changes. [01:02:12] Speaker A: Depending on the day, depending on the circumstance, depending on how I'm feeling, depending on what's going on. Which worker are you this morning? You can't earn grace, right? And yet so often we try. [01:02:35] Speaker B: Maybe you're here and you're living like that. [01:02:37] Speaker A: Those, that first group of workers in Jesus's parable, you know, the ones that are frustrated, Right? The ones that are blinded by their entitlement. The ones that are just. [01:02:56] Speaker B: Their whole state is based on them. [01:02:58] Speaker A: Comparing themselves to others. [01:03:04] Speaker B: And what are they? [01:03:05] Speaker A: Jealous? [01:03:07] Speaker B: The scripture, the passage literally says that they're jealous. [01:03:11] Speaker A: They're jealous of God's grace in the. [01:03:13] Speaker B: Lives of other people. [01:03:17] Speaker A: And they're complaining. That's not fair. It's not across the board. [01:03:27] Speaker B: And all the while, they're missing out on God's grace. [01:03:32] Speaker A: They're looking at the wrong scoreboard. Right? Which worker are you? Are you jealous or are you joyful? The parable says five groups of workers, there's only two. Jealous or joyful. Comparing yourself, complaining, frustrated or grateful for God's generosity and grace. [01:04:21] Speaker B: The truth is the condition of your heart. [01:04:24] Speaker A: That's what determines which worker you are, not how you compare to other people. [01:04:27] Speaker B: Not how long you've been there, not how much work you've done compared to other people. [01:04:30] Speaker A: The condition of your heart. And that's why the Scriptures are so clear. All of our Guard your heart. Guard your heart. That's what God's after, hear me? That's what God's enemies are after too. So which type do you know? Which type of worker are you? Maybe you're here and you're not a worker at all. Maybe, like actually. [01:05:02] Speaker B: Like, just at the. [01:05:03] Speaker A: Chance that there's somebody here who hasn't. [01:05:06] Speaker B: Said yes to the landowner of heaven's. [01:05:08] Speaker A: Invitation to you, who wants you, who. [01:05:13] Speaker B: Knows just how needy you are. Like, he wants to meet your needs. He's. [01:05:18] Speaker A: He's rich in mercy, filled with grace and love and forgiveness for you. [01:05:25] Speaker B: Like, he's so passionate about meeting your. [01:05:28] Speaker A: Needs that he gave his life, He wants you. [01:05:37] Speaker B: So just the chance there's somebody here. [01:05:38] Speaker A: And you're like, I'm hearing you talk about workers and wish you, like, and. [01:05:42] Speaker B: Jesus isn't actually the leader of your life. [01:05:45] Speaker A: He can be, he wants to be. Do you want him to be? He can be your leader this morning. And I just want to tell you, like, there's no other leader like Jesus. There's no leader that keeps seeking you out, keeps giving you purpose, keeps providing what you need, spectacularly generous ways. Will you stand with me if you're able? [01:06:18] Speaker B: I want to pray for us. [01:06:33] Speaker A: If you're on the prayer team, would you make your way to the front for me. [01:06:44] Speaker B: What I want you to do right now? [01:06:45] Speaker A: We're running out of time, but I think it's important, wherever you are, I want to invite you to just close your eyes. I want to. I want to try to facilitate you connecting with God and specifically you bringing your needs to him. All around the room. However you need to, just between you and him for just a moment, Close your eyes and begin to share your needs with the landowner in heaven. He cares about your needs. Father, I thank you for your unfairness. You're never unfair except to yourself. And we get to be the recipients of your grace, your generosity. And so I pray for every single one of us who knows they need grace this morning. They know they need it because you are rich in mercy. And because you want the unwanted, the broken, the needy, I ask you to pour out grace on every single one of us now. Oh, thank you for your presence. Thank you for your love. So we have about five or six minutes left, and I'm going to invite you to respond in one of two ways. Maybe both would be awesome. Come receive prayer. Come humbly to a man or a woman. Trusted men or women are up here that would love to intercede on your behalf, that would love to join you in bringing your needs to God and seeing how he might meet you in those spaces. You can come forward at any time and the band's gonna lead us in opportunities to praise him for his generosity and his grace and his love. Alright, let's press in and then in a few moments we'll close. Love you guys very much. Enjoy.