Microchurch Minute
“I worked harder than that guy, I’ll get more than him for sure!” Worldly logic at it’s finest. Not to say that hard work is bad, God delights in diligent work ethic, but here comes Jesus with the parable of the workers in the vineyard flipping logic on it’s head again!
A landowner goes out to hire workers first thing in the morning, they agreed to a days’ wage and get going. But the same owner goes out to recruit more workers just a few hours later, and again after that, another time in the afternoon, and finally just one hour before end of day – all the while agreeing to pay “what is fair”. Come the end of the day, he lines up all of the hired help and pays them each a full days wage. Imagine the feeling of frustration that arose over the workers who had been hard at work all day long! Hadn’t they put in more hours, more effort, more sweat than the latecomers?
Surely they deserved more, they had earned it, hadn’t they?
But here is the radical truth of grace in the gospel, God offers salvation by grace to all who believe, from the one who began as a toddler rolling around on the Sunday school rug to the thief hanging on the cross. It’s not the length of your faith that saves you, but the grace of the One who sets you free.
Verse 16 reminds us “so the last will be first and the first will be last”. But how arrogant my earthly mind transitions into a posture of comparison. Did you notice how later workers gladly went to work in agreement to receive whatever the landowner decided was right. See, the landowner represents God. He pursues all people relentlessly, refusing to leave even the least behind. Think of the remaining workers at the end of the day, they would likely go home with no pay and no way to feed their families that day, a disgrace. But God, He never stopped pursuing, inviting them in. As believers, we are blessed to know that we are in the vineyard working for the most just and fair landowner, our Lord and Savior!
Has your joy in serving the King been replaced by comparison with those who came after you? Gratitude quickly dies when comparison convinces us someone else worked less for the same reward. Time for a change in mindset. We are children of the king, heirs of His gracious generosity. Christianity is not an employee contract built on earned wages. Far from it! We should be rejoicing when the lost sheep returns home, make heaven crowded, enthusiastically share in the good and gracious giftings of your Maker. Stop relating to God in a transactional manner, He is not your genie to grant wishes or a vending machine to dish out what you’ve selected. On the contrary, He is a loving Father generously pouring out gifts onto all of His children. Rejoice in what God has given you, then celebrate what He gives others too. After all, at the end of the day it all belongs to God anyway, we are simply here to steward what He has allotted to us.
Microchurch Minute
A common parable, the good Samaritan, takes a look at genuine love, who belongs and personal responsibility. We all have tendencies to mentally exclude people from God’s grace based on their radical beliefs or poor life choices and ill-fit character qualities. But this parable reminds us that we are all created in God’s image and worthy of compassion, all called to be the helpers. In the story, we find that there was a man on his way between Jerusalem and Jericho that had been robbed, beaten and stripped of all worldly possessions. Can you just imagine this heap of a man left half dead on the side of a dirt road? Likely barely breathing, unable to move and cry out. First came the priest, a noble man of God, maybe in fear of becoming dirty, crosses to the other side of the road and continues on his way. But next is the Levite, a man of clergy, believed to be direct heirs of father Abraham. The tribe of Levi was tasked with maintaining the most Holy Place in the tabernacle, as the Lord instructed. Surely this man had a heart for his duties to the Lord, yet he too crosses the road. But finally came the Samaritan. Now Samaritans were the outcasts of the day, despised by Jews because of centuries deep ethnic, religious and political differences. If the traveler had encountered the Samaritan prior to his attack, he likely would have crossed over to get away from someone that was considered so looked down upon. But here we have a poor soul, clinging to his own life when the commonly-rejected Samaritan moves towards him. He puts the man on his donkey, travels slowly with him to the inn and puts forth nearly two months of expenses to cover the recovering man’s lodging and care.
As Jesus wrapped up this story, he turned back to the lawyer who had come with intent to test Jesus. The lawyer was confident that he loved God, confident in his religious stature and standing. But to this man who knew the law so well, he was not hoping for the answer received in this lesson. You see, neighbor isn’t defined by proximity, but revealed through action.
Are you being a neighbor? Or are you staying comfortable, avoiding the mess? The Samaritan shows us that real love crosses cultural lines, embraces the inconvenient, and acts without hesitation, even at the risk of judgment. While others passed by, his compassion interrupted his plans, and he allowed it. So the question remains: are you willing to step into the messy places, even when it costs you something? Or does that disrupt your carefully planned day? Jesus closes with, “Go and do likewise.” Because spiritual maturity isn’t measured by knowledge or status, but by a life marked with costly, active mercy.
Microchurch Minute
Money, money, money… what a false sense of security the lies of this world can lure us into. We joined in conversation to debunk a few myths about wealth and seek God’s wisdom through the parable of the rich fool. Firstly, it’s important to note what is not true. Scripture teaches that money itself isn’t evil, but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Our relationship with God and eternity with Him is what we are to hold at highest value, is that where your focus lies, or is it within the comfort of your material possessions? There is a whole prosperity gospel that (inaccurately) teaches true believers will be blessed financially. “Have you been dreaming of a yacht? Pray harder! God blesses those that He favors!” This is a dangerous distortion of truth. This is exactly how the enemy works, taking slivers of biblical truth and distorting them into earthly callings that tempt believers to stray. Yes, God will absolutely pour out His blessings onto His children, but you don’t get to decide what those blessings will look like. (spoiler: His are better anyway) Just because God’s blessings may not look like the wealth that modern-day civilization strives for, it doesn’t mean that we are called to live a life of poverty either. Just as we learned last week in the parable of the talents, God will distribute means as He sees fit for each one of us. Scripture calls us to both generosity and wise stewardship—not hoarding out of fear, but not neglecting responsibility either (Proverbs 21:5). The wealth that we accumulate is simply a tool that God allows us to use, it doesn’t provide any type of actual security. I have yet to see a medical diagnosis that turns on it’s heels and runs just because you wrote a check. What about when the stock market takes a plunge? Investments don’t quite pan out the way that earthly knowledge told you they would. Even then, God is still good, my eternity is still secure in Him.
As a man in the crowd approached Jesus with a legal grievance against his brother, we see Jesus quickly jump to the heart of the matter. There was a man who had a plentiful crop. “How will I store up my wealth so that I can be kept?” Jeesh, do you do that too? There is most definitely something to be said for financial responsibility and preparedness. But what we see this man doing was building up a massive barn for himself to hide away in his own excess, instead of recognizing God as the source and using his abundance with an eternal perspective. But just as he put the finishing touch on his treasure barn, God spoke up and called out the fool. That very evening he would lose his life. Then where do all the possessions go? He can’t take them into eternity with him. What had this fool stored up for himself in heaven? Being so fixated on the earthly abundance he had, this man neglected his relationship with his heavenly Father. He spent so much time obsessing over what he already had and fantasizing about how he was just going to relax and enjoy it, that he took no time to be aligned with God’s heart for the greater purpose in his life. Jesus’ warning is clear: the issue isn’t having wealth, it’s storing up treasure for yourself while being poor toward God.
Here is a nugget of wisdom I pray sticks with you this week: don’t mistake what is yours for what is God’s. Do you feel entitled to something earthly? According to worldly standards, you probably have every right to do so. After all, you went to college, you applied for the job, you called the realtor, you got yourself into this home and lifestyle. Or did you? God favors a hard working, but ultimately He allowed the opportunity for you to get an education. God opened doors to select you for the job that you’re placed in. God has placed you where you are for a purpose so that He could use you exactly there. Before you keep on giving yourself all the glory for a life well lived, check your heart in the matter. Honest reflection question: What areas of your life are you saying “my” too often? There is nothing wrong with owning earthly things, but as we ensure we are using them all to glorify God, make sure that your things are not owning you. Take inventory of your thoughts and actions, if you were to review your priorities and last month’s bank statements, does it all point to God as the first priority in your life? You worship what you put your time and resources into. Think about back in the years following Jesus death (and resurrection). Imagine you are thrown in front of a jury, being accused of worshiping, following and supporting the man that claimed to be the Son of God. Would your lifestyle, expenditures and investments be enough evidence for you to be found guilty of this charge? Or would they just find that you have a fast food drive-thru dinner obsession? Don’t wait for ‘someday’ to live generously and faithfully, steward what God has given you today with eternity in mind.
Microchurch Minute
I’m grateful for each opportunity I have to be in the presence of Professor Smith. Sunday’s discussion delivered, once again. As we dove into the parable of the giving of talents, we started off with the impact that acquiring knowledge has on our wisdom. Jesus spoke to us in parables, an analogy in a story, as a way for God’s truth to be revealed to those who are ready to receive it. Analogical use of language is one of the four principals that are essential for knowledge. Because we are made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26) we are able to understand and receive the knowledge that He chooses to reveal, even though He is fully beyond us. As a basis of the Christian faith, we believe and accept that the bible is the written Word of God. By extension, this means that the bible itself is knowledge. Much in the way we can gain mathematical knowledge from a textbook in school, the bible is our starting point for understanding what our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us. Your math textbook will teach you that 4+4=8, but when you take that a step further, we can deduce that 8 is equal to, not only 4+4, but also 6+2, 9-1, 16/2… the way that we apply our knowledge in practical situations is wisdom.
Jesus wanted to impart wisdom to His believers, and therefor chose to tall parables, these stories that easily related to what they could understand, so they could use the lessons learned as applied knowledge and live it out in their everyday lives. The story of the giving of talents goes as follows. A wealthy man is going to leave for a time. He called in three of is servants and distributed talents (to put this in perspective, one talent was the equivalent of 20 years’ wages) according to the servant’s abilities. One received five talents, another received two and the final servant received one.
Can you imagine receiving 20 years wages all at once? Wow, that is a pretty remarkable about. Do you think the third servant was still impressed when he heard of the first servant that received five times that? It’s easy to imagine the temptation to compare. I wonder how often we get trapped into the lies of comparison among our spiritual giftings and the giftings of others. What the master gave each of the three servants was not a laughable amount. It was a significant investment on three different levels that each of them were trusted to guard and invest properly during the masters absence. God has entrusted you with “wages” of your own. This can be viewed in the form of your finances, time availability and talents. The question is not what do others have? but what am I doing with what I’ve been given?
Just as Jesus will one day return to us here on earth, the master in the parable eventually returns to his servants to settle accounts. He takes this time to make a judgement on how they handled themselves and the wealth that he left to them. Our assessment day is coming, too. The servant who was given five talents doubled it, awesome. The servant who was given two talents did the same, amazing. The master is pleased with his good and faithful servants, they are invited to share in their master’s happiness. But then comes in the third servant. Acting out of fear, he took no action with his one talent. The master is displeased and gives the wasted investment instead to his servant that as earned the most. With great disappointment and frustration the master casts out the third servant – outside his presence, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. The message is clear: we are accountable. God honors obedience and effort, not comparison or outcome.
Tell me you see the simile here. When Jesus returns to reconcile His children, there will be a day of assessment, we will answer for the way we’ve chosen to live our lives and use what God has gifted us. When that day comes, will you proudly step forward with the results of your active stewardship, or will it be a day of distress when you are called to answer for your passivity? God will honor the fruits of the effort that come from honoring a purpose above ourselves in the same way that He will handle consequences for inaction, as the fair and just Judge that He is. While your giftings will likely be different of the giftings you see in other believers, you are still personally responsible for the maximizing the potential of what YOU have. Divine gifts only have the opportunity to grow when you are serving others. So the question becomes, how are you serving others?
A practical place to start is with stewardship of finances. A helpful guideline is the 80-10-10 principle: give 10% back to God, save 10% for the future, and live on the remaining 80%. It’s a tangible way to practice faithful management of what you’ve been given.
I pray that as we each move throughout our week, the severity of responsibility, and the privilege, sits heavily with us all. It’s not about comparison, it isn’t about the end total, it’s about responding to the Holy Spirit and living in a way that honors our Heavenly Father with everything we’ve been entrusted with.
Microchurch Minute
On Sunday we began a series on the parables of Jesus. It’s important to understand that Jesus spoke in parables as a way to relate to His audience and use language and imagery that they were familiar with. These stories helped those with ears to hear stretch their minds and apply these principles to their lives. Crowd think can be a dangerous pit to fall into, we are blessed with the gift of discernment as God encourages us to think for ourselves while fully relying on Him. It’s a beautiful balance of empowerment, guidance, trust and freedom all at once.
“Ears to hear” is a funny saying, isn’t it? Because what else would our ears be used for? But let’s dive deeper. Jesus uses this phrasing throughout His speaking in regards to those that are spiritually open to receive and understand His lessons. All can hear, but not all will understand.
This is what we find in the parable of the Sower. Some seed falls onto the path and are eaten up by the birds. When the Word hits the ears of those with hardened hearts that don’t want to see or understand the Lord, there is nothing for the lesson to take root in. The enemy swoops in and takes these nuggets of wisdom away. But then seeds fall into the rocky ground. Sure, there are crevices for it to dive into and begin to sprout. But as one who hears Jesus with initial excitement and joy, the lesson can soon be lost in the midst of questioning or religious persecution that may come their way, just as the poor plant withers in the elements without deep roots. Enthusiasm about the gospel is not the same as repentance. Now we see that more growth comes from the seeds that fall into thorny ground. We hear the word and receive it well. But this time the distractions come in worldly focal points like money, anxiety or greed.
Even strong beginnings can be overtaken when we allow anything to take God’s place. Faith was never meant to promise earthly ease, but something far greater: eternal life with Him.
It feels like a relief when we get to the final set of seeds distributed in good soil. There, the seed finds nourishment that it needs to thrive. It grows and prospers and produces a crop that exponentially exceeds the initial plant.
This means regularly surrendering, examining, and removing anything that competes with God. It calls us to personal responsibility in our relationship with Him. He is always there, ready to pour out His Spirit into the hearts of believers and constantly pursuing the prodigal. The lessons of the Lord are concealed from hardened hearts, those that are full of pride and arrogance, believing they have achieved their salvation through their own works – or worse, that they don’t even need to be saved. So soften your hear. With the help of the Spirit, create in me a clean heart! Prepare your hearts by emptying yourself of all that is not God. Put to death that which is not allowing you to pursue Him fully. Those dead things can make the most fertile soil.
This week I pray that you have a chance to sit with God and seek His words. Lord, allow me to be good soil for Your Word. Help bring to light all that needs to be put to death to provide that space for You. Reveal to me wherever I have hardened my heart to You and Your teachings. Shine a light on it, let it be a glaring call to change! Lord I believe that with Your Holy Spirit, these changes are not only possible, they’re already divinely orchestrated. I long to be like the good soil that reproduces good fruit by the thousandfolds!
When we make space for the Lord to take over in us, the fruit that comes from it won’t just change us, it will overflow into everything around us.
Microchurch Minute
“Jesus paid it all. All to Him, I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.”
“He is risen. He is risen, indeed!”
Traditional sayings and phrases in the traditional church. But why do we say them? Why do we praise Him? Why do we celebrate Good Friday when it was the day that our Savior was nailed to a tree?
Friday is only good because Sunday was coming! We know now what the people in Jesus’ time did not know. His sacrifice was required to allow Him to fully conquer death. Imagine following Jesus then. You’ve heard the prophecies, believed a Savior was coming, and then you see Jesus beaten, bloodied, and lifted onto a cross. In that moment, it must have felt like everything had fallen apart… like death had won. God allowed Judas to be tempted to the point of betrayal. God allowed Jesus to be captured, tortured and killed. But what the enemy saw as his victory was just a necessary step in Jesus living out the biggest comeback story yet.
Do you find yourselves in those seasons? Your circumstances or the life that has been dealt to you looks dismal. I thought God was the ultimate protector and Savior. You think. How could He be letting this happen to me? Why is He allowing harm to come to my family? Why has death, pain and hardship been winning the war that it is waging in my home?
Don’t forget what Easter showed us. In this fallen world that we live in, God may allow pain, hardship and even the schemes of the enemy, but He uses it all to showcase His redeeming glory and majestic power! You might not see the redemption on this side of Heaven, you might not know the impeding victory that is coming from your dire circumstances. But we know that our Savior lives! Even in the silence, even in the doubt, He is working. The same Jesus who conquered the grave is still moving, still redeeming, still writing comeback stories. The enemy does not get the final say. My God is bigger than the schemes of the enemy. The enemy will not overtake me. He will not overtake my family.
Because Jesus died and came back to life:
We are forgiven and redeemed. Like a slave up for auction in a crowded marketplace, we were living slaves to sin. Jesus was able to take our place. He bought us and stands in our place.
Our future is now secured. Through Christs’ perfect sacrifice, He bridged the chasm that had been created between man and God. When we trust in Jesus and His redeeming love, our eternity is sealed. Jesus had to depart so that believers could receive the Holy Spirit.
Before, the Spirit would come upon believers and then depart. But now we get to enjoy the full presence of the Spirit every single day! The question isn’t what can the Holy Spirit do? It’s what can’t He do through a life that’s fully surrendered? It fills us up and gives us power. Wonder working power in truths and discernments. Does your life taste like the fully incorporated syrup in a glass of cold milk? There’s a difference in how you let Him be used in you. It’s a challenge, are you fully plugged in?
It’s pretty frustrating to jump on your tablet to play a game, only to realize that it wasn’t charged. If we aren’t regularly pouring into our time with the Lord, our spiritual lives can look a lot like that dead tablet. So much potential, so many capabilities, but powerless. We need to be regularly plugged in to the Word of God, not just sitting next to it. Because Sunday already proved it:
The grave is empty.
The victory is won.
And Jesus is still bringing dead things back to life.
