The Parable Of The Vineyard Workers

SUMMARY: Have you ever felt like life is unfair? Like you didn’t get something that you thought you deserved? As we continue our series, Summer of Stories, Nate Hilgenkamp teaches through the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Like many of His other parables, Jesus starts this one the same way: “The kingdom of heaven is like…” We don’t work to get saved into heaven, but once we are saved, we get to work for the Lord. “Can we be casual in the work of God—casual when the house is on fire, and people are in danger of being burned?” -Duncan Campbell If you are bored with Jesus it’s not because He’s gotten boring. Life in a fallen world doesn’t seem fair, and because we don’t fully understand God and His ways, He doesn’t appear fair either. The true wages of our efforts in life—our sin—is death. The landowner was trying to be as generous as He possibly could…exactly what God does for us. We don’t work in order to receive a reward, we work because we’ve already received our reward. Don’t miss God’s generosity because you are too busy comparing yourself to others. When you realize what God has done for you will be marked by gratitude and generosity. MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Suggested Scripture study: Matthew 20:1-16; Ephesians 2:8-10; James 4:8; Romans 6:23; Psalm 103:8-12; Romans 5:6-8 Sermon: Life Leveraged for Treasure Blog: Is God Fair?