Getting Rewards Right Part 2

One reason for us to Jesus phone number for blog chooses to do some of his children more than others more ability, more money and better health. When we realize that it's the giver makes the call and not the receiver. We've come a long way standing how God rewards his people from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is with Dr. Sir's clear teaching make it across the finish line vasculature. Equality is an American ideal, but God seems to have a higher purpose in fulfilling our need to feel equal. Dave, I can think of the word that is more misused in our society than the word quality.

We have marriage equality we have reproductive equality we have income inequality but at the same time we have to recognize that we are equal in the sense that we are all equally valuable before God, having been created in his image, but that being said, you're absolutely right Dave.

Life isn't fair. How do we handle it. That's why think that this parable is so very important for all of us and to those of you who are blessed as a result of this ministry want you to know that we are encouraging you to become an endurance partner that someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. For more information, you can go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com when you there. Click on the endurance partner button or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now let us listen to the words of Jesus who helps us to understand how to manage unfairness and don't say Lord give me this job. I promise you I'm going to start to five or Lord, I promise you I'm willing to go to Africa as a missionary. If you give me a husband now, you might want to also point out that if you think that way he's going to have to agree to go to. I would think.

Don't don't get into this business of saying God. If you do this all do this if you reward me in this way, I promise I'm going to reward you. And that what none on the note, in faith believing that God will be generous and serve him wholeheartedly. There is a friend of mine who actually taught me preaching a preaching class at Dallas seminary's name is Haddon Robinson and he had a son by the name of Tori and he likes to tell this story. One day Tori when he was a boy he mowed the lawn in Texas. The hot Texas sun, and he came in and said dad said I mowed the lawn, which is to say, being interpreted penne so his father said to him, will Tori how much you think it's worth. He said all I don't know. He said his father's trying to get the sun in name a price that he won't let you set them.

Why don't you give a price as to what you think it is worth for you to mow the lawn and then the boy said this dad I would rather have you make the decision because I know you'll give me more than I asked God is generous.

Don't bargain with him before you go into the vineyard. Don't be a legalist and Sable thought, if I do this thing you that just just serve him in faith and he will do right by you.

I can assure you there's a second lesson that we must learn. Yeah, thank you.

And that is we must serve him in submission is very important. Now this gets to our hearts.

Sin is going to be revealed in your heart.

Very shortly to get ready for our right serve in submission without and the serve in submission without and now you'll notice here that time the focus who showed up at 6 o'clock they were envious because the ones who showed up at five got the same as they did, and there's nothing that elicits envy in our hearts more than the feeling that we are being treated unfairly and seeing somebody else being blessed more than we think they should be blessed if you know anybody who is being over blessed and you seem to be under blessed then immediately and comes into our hearts.

Dr. Charles Riley who is the author of the notes in the rivalries study Bible tells this story.

He says one day he was on American Airlines and he was. He had purchased a coach seat but because of overbooking. They asked some people from the coach section of the plane to go into first class, but he was not among them. So as he was doing there in his theological juices. I guess being a theologian and knowing his Bible and having it with them. He turned to this parable and read it and this is the way in which he read it. Friend of verse 13. I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a coach seat. Did you not get a coach seat. And if I choose to bless somebody else is American Airlines not allowed to do as it wills with those who are its own. If American Airlines wants to take somebody out of coach seats and get them first-class treatment is your eye envious because American Airlines is generous while Rebecca and I have seven beautiful grandchildren and an eight on the way. By the way, and when our oldest son Jack was about five sold grandpa and grandma Luther took him to a store.

We used their van his parents and we went to a store and we bought him.

Now he's for five years old a little car that he could actually sit in and drive had battery operated, etc. you can move it along the sidewalk. He just needed to press a button then this car went little fire engine light.

What items like that. If I had been had received one of those when I was younger that was even before they had steel and metal, but we took him along because we wanted to make sure that he could sit in it and that it was the right size and all. I still remember I seldom remember things, but I think it caused $208. Some things you do so after we put it in the van and were on our way home. And of course he's absolutely elated stop at the dollar store because his little sister Emma was going to have a birthday party that evening, one year old birthday party so Rebecca, of course, Pfizer a few balloons and ties one around her little chubby hand so little Emma has a balloon Jack, I want that balloon give me this balloon giving is think and check. We just spent $230 for your little car with an electric motor painted red that you can drive on a sidewalk and now you're bent out of shape because your little sister has a balloon and then I thought I by the way, I told a friend of mine that story and he said my grandson actually broke his you know that's a picture of the soul, God gives us multiple blessings he who spared not his own son, but delivered him up for Saul, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things. We have forgiveness of sins, we have the status of being sons and daughters of the most time we have an inheritance that is waiting for us. We have his mercy that we can depend upon and is Providence that guides us.

We got all that and then we see somebody else over here who has a couple of balloons that we don't have any immediately.

Envy begins to rise in our hearts and say why does God do it for them.

It just isn't fair because were overcome by an the second word that I'm giving to you today is the word submit faith submit without envy. There's a story about a man who had a dream he was standing in a long line of people and Jesus came along and bless this person said I bless you.

I bless you. I bless you, and when Jesus came to him.

He said I'm not going to bless you because I know that you're going to keep on believing and trusting me anyway.

And then Jesus went to the next. You feel that way. Let me ask you honestly, and this is a sin that you need to deal with and that I need to deal with.

Are you envious when God is generous when God in his sovereignty blesses some people more than he blesses you, so that your ministry isn't as great your house is in this nice your job isn't as easy are you envious because God is generous by the way, speaking of it from the other side.

Isn't it amazing that when we are blessed we handle that very well. One day I was on a flight with my daughter to the funeral and it was United Airlines that it oversold and so they took us sideways only by coach seat tickets, but they took us to were in coach and they brought my daughter and me into first class. I didn't send an email to United and say what kind of a schlocky outfit do you run anyway, here I by I by a coach ticket and you give me first-class treatment is not what I thought at all. First thought that came to mind was it's about time when we are on the receiving end of blessing you know were just fine with God and with everybody else.

But if we discern it is unfair. Consumed with an there's a final word I want to give you and that is Thanksgiving or joy you can put whichever one you want in there. Rather than grumbling Thanksgiving and joy rather than grumbling and here's why I think that this maybe gets to the heart of the parable.

What Jesus wants to show here is that the rewards that he gives us are not wages over the legalists.

Maybe they'll get their denarius for the others who served with joy and submission. It isn't a matter of wages. He is going to get is so much beyond all wages that you won't even think in terms of wages, it's not a matter of saying over 30 years of service 30 crown. No no no no, it is so much and beyond that, that you can't even think look at what Jesus said earlier to Peter. He says everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my sake will receive third fold and will inherit a place in the kingdom that isn't wage that is just God's undeserved generosity towards people who don't deserve anything like that because God says I love to give and I'm generous. If you trust me, if you submit to me if you take your situation with gratitude and joy for any opportunity to serve in the kingdom. Any opportunity, I'd like to relate that to Moody church and say that we always stand in need of volunteers and we never have enough volunteers and we have opportunities in our kiosk for you to find out exactly how you can be involved and so forth but but the point is that it is not a matter of whether it's prominent or whether you even get bank for it or whatever the end of the day it's privileged to just put your foot into the vineyard and to serve the Lord and it's a great and it's a great honor to do anything in the vineyard and then to know that as a result of it bargained with God and say why need this denarius, oh no no no no you don't bargain with God and and he'll get you things that you can't even imagine to over bless you and overflow reward you because the point of the parable is the generosity of God giving to those who served well trust well much more than they could ever possibly deserve some of you are here today and you've never trusted Christ as Savior. By the way, so I need to point out that it's not a matter of you serving in the kingdom that brings salvation. This has to do with rewards for believers within the kingdom you come to Christ as you are with your need and you trust him as your Savior.

And that is a free gift, it doesn't come about by service, but after you've trusted Christ service should be the natural response of the gratitude of the heart of gratitude where we serve, how do we serve in faith in submission and with joy and gratitude.

Trusting God to do right by us and believing he will and believe me he will do right by you above and beyond it's an old story that's been told in various versions, but it fit so well here I must tell it again. There was a missionary couple by the name of the Morrison's who were missionaries in far-flung lands. I think it was Africa and they came to America on the same ship as Rosenfeld the president when he went overseas. Obviously many many years ago when the ship arrived in New York. There was, of course, as we might expect a delegation to meet Rosenfeld. The president of the United States you have security officials you'd have welcoming committees and all those other things. All this hubbub because the president of the United States arrived in New York. The problem with the Morrison's was that there was nobody there to greet them.

I have two sisters, both of whom were missionaries, one in Mexico for about 30 years and one single sister in Africa for 30 and she knows a little bit about what that's like. Of course we greeted her when she came to our apartment.

She would land herein. America somewhere or Canada and that there'd be nobody there to greet her.

At least initially, but anyway the Morrison's thought to themselves.

This doesn't seem right. Yes of course he's the president of the United States, but we are serving the King of Kings and the Lord of lords and the God of all gods and we arrive at the New York Harbor and there's nobody even there to meet us nothing but emptiness. Nobody to even say Howdy but as they wrestle with this and even told the Lord how they felt about it. As they said to the Lord, you know, Rosenfeld comes home is a big delegation for we come home nobody here for us.

It was as if the Lord said, wait a moment you're not home yet. Wait'll you get home you leave father and mother, and houses and land for my sake and the kingdom and you serve well in the vineyard. You'll receive a hundredfold because God is generous and don't you ever be envious because he's more generous with some people than with others. Does he not have a right to do as he wills with those who are his own.

Can you think God right now for your situation.

And so Jesus said the last will be first. The first last legalists say what's in it for me and exactly what I'm I going to get out of it. You will get something you'll get wages those who serve submission in faith and joy they won't get wages or its totally disproportionate to what they've done. Let's bow together in prayer. Father, we want to pray today that you might make is satisfied with our lot in life. Oh yes, we can improve our situation most assuredly, but at the end of the day and all of the unfairness of life. Help us to rejoice that we have some part in your kingdom, whether small or large, whether recognized or unrecognized, may we rejoice in just knowing that we have a foot in your kingdom to serve you and love you.

I help us to be satisfied with your decisions and not be envious because you are generous rude to that sin that is so deeply embedded in our hearts rooted out so that we can grab hold of it and confess it psychically pray in Jesus name. This is a fast track to tell you that someone said that the sin of an is actually a respectable sin. We all struggle with it and because it is inside of us we feel so self righteous and justified because of an God sees our hearts. You know I have to share with you some joy that is in my heart. The ministry of running to win is heard throughout the country of Nigeria 200 million people in Nigeria and, of course, it is because of people like you that we can continue to share the gospel in so many different ways would you consider becoming an endurance partner.

By the way, I have a letter here from a listener in Africa. My faith is always lifted up when I hear running to win even when I feel down. I'm always encouraged.

We received letters like that because of people like you who invest in this ministry and endurance partner is someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts investigated. Here's what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com when you're there, click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 I'm going to be giving you that phone number again.

But thanks in advance for helping us. Thank you so much for praying for us because together we are making a difference: 1-888-218-9337 now for another chance for you to ask Pastor look certain question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Something pastor looks or has said prompted one of our listeners to ask this question. Explain your belief in ghosts. Have you ever seen one will the answer is, I've never seen a ghost directly, but I've seen pictures of one very serious about this. One of our listeners lives in a haunted house and that they went around taking photographs because things were happening in the house that they clearly were not done by human beings.

Lights were being turned off or on the heating arrangement was being turned up or down, and so they began to take pictures and lo and behold, when the pictures were developed. There are faces that can be seen in closets and rooms never seen it before.

So what did I recommend to these people.

I recommended that they get a group of people together from their church that they cleanse the place, so to speak that they asked Jesus by his power to cleanse every single room that those spirits might leave because after all they are evil spirits. There's no such thing as Casper the friendly ghost, even though these beings might not harm Christians because Christians are protected.

The fact of the matter is they do exist.

Sometimes what happens is when an evil person is into the occult, particularly when they are in the occult, and they live in a home some of the spirits associated with that occultism may stay within the home and that's why.

Indeed, we do have haunted houses and haunted houses are full of ghosts who are demons. Thankfully, as believers, we have authority over them.

The victory of Jesus Christ. The victory of the word. I do believe that houses have to be cleansed and I trust that you have the faith to believe that as well. Some interesting words of counsel from Dr. Erwin looks or thank you pastor looks or if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago 960614 many people don't believe in demons. Jesus certainly did drove many demons out of people, freeing them from self-destruction.

There is a spirit realm marked by conflict between the powers of the powers of life. Next time on running to win some lessons from the master teacher on how to fight this battle. Don't miss getting spiritual warfare right thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin look certain this is Dave, how was going to win is sponsored by the church