WHERE GOD AND ME SOMETIME DO NOT AGREE!
Matthew 20:1-15
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.
“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
• This will be one of the most unusual sermons, because I'm going to tell you how God and I sometimes have a little controversy with each other
Let’s recap the story I just read.
A certain man went out to hire some workers to work in a field. The Bible says he goes out early in the day. We find out later on in the story that it was six o'clock in the morning that he hired these first workers
He needs some more, so he goes out at nine o'clock in the morning to hire some more workers to work in his field.
He goes out again at noon and hires some more workers to work in his field.
He goes out at three o'clock in the afternoon and hires some more workers to work in his field.
He goes out at five o'clock and hires some more workers to work in his field.
All of them work until six o'clock at night. That means that some people worked twelve hours, and some people worked nine hours,and some people worked six hours, and some people worked three hours, and some people worked one hour.
Now, when pay time came, he gave them all exactly the same amount of money.
Those that went to work early in the morning began to complain about it. They said, "This is not fair because we've worked twelve hours.
These rascals over here get the same amount of money we get, and they've only worked for one hour. It's not fair."
• Now, I'll be honest with you. This parable has always bothered me. They got the same wages - I don't mean per hour, I mean per day.
The fellow that worked one hour got exactly the same amount of money that the fellow got who worked for twelve hours.
What is God trying to teach us, here?
I don't agree with God here. You think it's fair? - now be honest - Do you think it's fair for the fellow who works for twelve hours, all the day long in the hot sun and the heat of the day, and he gets the same
wage as the fellow who works from five until six in the evening?
I don't believe that, but God does. It doesn't make sense. I just don't agree with God on this parable. I cannot see that it's right for a man who works twelve hours to be paid the same as a man who works one hour.
BY THE WAY, THAT'S WHAT FAITH IS. F
• Faith is believing that God is right, even when we disagree.
• Don't miss this now. See, you and I don't think like God.
• You say, "It doesn't make sense to me." But see, it so happens that you and I are flesh.
• I cannot see the logic, but I know it's right. You say it's right to give a fellow the same wages from five to six as you give the fellow that worked twelve hours? Yeah.
You say, "You believe it's right?" No, I don't think it's right - but
I believe it's right, because I trust God's judgment more than mine
You see, It doesn't make sense to me, but it doesn't have to make sense to me.
LET ME GIVE YOU OUR DEFINITION OF FAITH.
This is what faith is to many people:
"I have confidence to believe that He will do it like I think it should be done." When you say, "I have lost my faith in Him." It means that God finally did something like you didn't think it ought to be done. Now, that's not faith at all. You didn't have faith in Him.
You say, "Well, I've lost my faith in him." No, you never had any faith in him. You only believed he was right if you agreed with how you think He should have done it,
But our definition of faith - I'll give it again: "I have confidence to believe that He will do it like I think it should be done."
• And by the way, that is how we are with leaders: That is the kind of feeling that is not faith. You only believed he was right if you agreed with the way you think he should have done it.
THE NEXT STEP OF FAITH IS.
First step, I have confidence to believe He will do it like I think it should be done.
The next step in faith is this: I cannot see it, but God will explain it someday and then I will understand."
That is not pure faith. You say, "I trust God to explain later the things I don't understand. I think that someday he would explain to me, so I trust Him. Isn't that pure faith?" No, it is dead sure better than the first one, but it is not pure faith
Somebody wrote a song, "We Will Understand It Better All By and By." Now, you say, "Okay, God and I don't agree on this. I would not have done it this way if I had been God, but I believe that one day God will explain it." Now, that is better than the first,
But pure faith is, "I agree with God, but if I don't see it eye to eye, I think He's right and I'm wrong.
• And if I die, and never understand why He did what He did, I still believe God was right and I was wrong.
• If I get to Heaven and in eternity, I never learn why God did what He did, I still believe that God was right and I was wrong. Pure faith.
Let me give you the three steps again:
• No faith is, "I have faith in Him as long as He does it like I think it should be done." (That's what most us have)
• Second, "I have faith to believe that He is right and I am wrong, and someday I will understand."
• Third (pure faith) is this: "I don't agree with God, but if I never find out why it was for good, I still believe that God is right
I'm going to tell you some things that God and I disagree about. Follow me carefully
I don't agree with God that Aiken and his family should have been stoned because He told Robe and some God and silver for the Jericho battle
Here is a guy that got a new coat and a piece of gold for his wife. That's all he did. I also understand God said to not take any of the spoils.
Now, I think he should have gone to jail for a month, but he got stoned to death. And his wife was stoned to death, and she didn't have anything to do with it! Before I get through, you're not going to believe in God.
See, your God has to do it like you see it. That's not the true and living faith in God.
Let's go a step further. I don't think God should have killed Ananias and Saphira because they didn't give all the money they got for their house.
That doesn't make sense to me. I'm sorry. I love You. I trust You, but I don't agree with You. But now wait a minute, I don't agree with that. I just think that was over doing it.
Here's a couple - they may have tithed and
gotten killed for it. They sold a house and did not give all the profits to God, and God killed them! I mean right there in church! I don't agree with that.
I don't agree with God in letting Peter preach at Pentecost. I think John should have preached on Pentecost.
Here's a guy who fifty days ago was cussing. Fifty days ago he denied Jesus. Fifty days ago he denied the Faith. Fifty days ago he said he didn't belong to the Lord
• Fifty days, and now look at that rascal! That cussin' man who left Jesus in His darkest hour - I don't think Peter ought to have preached on Pentecost. I think John the Beloved should have preached on Pentecost. Anybody here still believe in God?
I'll tell you something else I don't believe in. I don't believe God should have put Rahab the harlot in Hebrews chapter eleven.
You understand that here was a gal that was a prostitute - sold her body to wicked men who came into Jericho, and God put her in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews! I don't agree with that.
• But God put that former prostitute in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. I just don't agree with
it. I just do not agree.
And while we're talking about this, I don't think God made a good choice in Saul to be the king.
While we're talking about this, this is where I really have a controversy with God: I don't believe God should have chosen Jacob to make a prince and named the nation Israel after Jacob.
• He's home making chili while his brother is out hunting. But this sorry rascal deceived his brother, and got the birthright (which means he got the double portion of his father's inheritance).
• He got to be in the lineage of the Messiah, and he was given the priestly rights in the family. That's what he stole from his brother.
• And then, when his father was sick, he tricked
his father, made his father think he was his brother, and got the blessings that Esau should have gotten. Why, you sorry Jacob!
And do you know what God did? He turned around and named an entire nation after him.
God And I Don't Always Agree. I think they ought to be called the "Abrahamites" instead of the Israelites.
I'm saying I don't always agree with God
don't agree that God should have chosen three murderers to write over a third of the Bible. Four elevenths of the chapters of the Bible were written by murders - Moses, Paul, and David. Now, you wouldn't do that.
I'm saying I've got some problems with God today. I don't agree. While we're griping, this is one that I need some explanation about.
Do you know who God called the wisest man in the whole world? A guy who had seven hundred wives and three hundred substitutes. God called him the wisest man in the whole world. I have some problems with God, here.
I don't agree with God for sending the flood.
I don't agree with God in calling David a man after His own heart. I really think this is dirty –
I don't believe it was right when Moses didn't get to see the Promised Land or go in it. All he did was lose his temper. Do you ever lose your temper?
I don't agree that God should let Satan do what he did to Job.
I don't agree that God should turn Lot's wife just because she looked back. That's all she did. Now, I don't agree with that. It doesn't say she did anything else. She just looked back. I don't agree.
I don't agree that God should use David to write so much of His Bible after his sins.
I don't believe that God should choose Jonah for the great revival in Ninevah.
I don't agree that God should have chosen a man with Matthew's dishonest background to be an apostle and write the first book in the New Testament.
I don't believe that God should have made Isaac marry somebody he had never seen.
I don't agree with God giving the prodigal son more attention than he gave the son who stayed home and worked all the time.
I don't agree with that. I don't agree with God allowing many of you to have to go through the many battles that you have had to endure.
I don't agree with the many battles that come my way!
And to be quite frank with you,I don't really understand the plan of salvation.
Oh, I know it. But, it looks to me like a guy that lives a really good
life, ought to go to Heaven.
• Here's that thief on the cross...He never did one solitary thing but trust Jesus. He goes to Heaven.
• Then there's a guy that never stole anything, never robbed anybody, never committed a crime, but he dies and goes to Hell. That doesn't make sense to me,
• I don’t understand How you need to be baptized.
But bless God, it doesn't have to make sense to me!
I believe God is right. I've said all these things I would have done differently from God.
• But, in every area, I believe God is right and I am wrong. He may choose some day to explain to me why He is right and I am wrong, but He doesn't have to explain to me. I still believe that God is right.
I believe that God was right when he put Rahab in the "hall of heroes" in Hebrews eleven.
I believe God was right when He chose Peter to preach on Pentecost.
I believe God was right when He sent the flood.
I believe God was right when He killed Ananias and Saphira.
I'm saying I don't agree with Him, but I'm flesh and He's God. I'm weak, He's strong. I'm sinful, He's perfect. He's God. He makes no mistakes!
You say, Bro. Jim, we'll understand it better by and by. We may, but don't have to. If God never tells me when I get to Heaven why these things happened, He is still my God and I trust Him. For, He is God; He is good; He is omniscient; and, he is right.
The greatest joy of the Christian life is to trust Him and need no explanation. The greatest thing that you can do for God, is to trust Him and ask for no explanation, either here or in eternity.
• So, God was right when He stoned Aiken.
• God was right when He killed Ananias and Saphira.
• God was right when He chose Peter to preach on
• Pentecost.
• God was right in choosing Saul to be king.
• God was right to make Jacob a prince and to name a nation after him.
• God was right to choose three ex-murderers to write four elevenths of the Bible.
• God was right when He called Solomon the wisest man in the
• world.
God was right when He sent the flood. God was right when He called David a man after his own heart.
God was right by not letting Moses enter into the Promised Land.
God was right in letting Satan do what he did to Job. God was right in turning Lot's wife into a pillar of salt.
God was right in using David to write so much of the Bible after his great sins.
God was right to choose Jonah to preach the great revival in Ninevah.
God was right to choose Matthew as an apostle.
God was right to give Isaac a wife he had never seen.
God was right to bless Old Testament men who had more than one wife.
God was right when the prodigal son got more attention than the faithful son that stayed home.
God was right. He is always right. he is God. It pleases God when you and I look to Him, and you can say, "I don't understand everything. I may not agree with everything. But, I'm wrong, and You're right." For He makes no mistakes. He is God; He's good; and He's omniscient.
Back to our parable.. there may be those that come into the kingdom in the final hour…God can save them as much as those in his vineyard from day one….Doesn’t he have the right to do so?
