Prayer: Father we thank you for your Word. We thank you for the opportunity to study it to know you. Fill us with your spirit as we learn the good news. Use each and everyone of us to share the gospel. We thank you for this great day and may you bless us to bear good fruit. In Jesus' name. Amen
**Read Matthew 20:1-19 and 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
I. The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
- In Matthew 20:1-19, Jesus described the Kingdom of Heaven as landowners who hire laborers all day. The landowner had agreed with laborers in different hours to work in his vineyard for a denarius a day. After a hard day's work, it was time to pay them and they started with the last one hired. They were given a denarius so when the ones that started first saw this, they thought that they would get more but they only received a denarius also. They were furious for they worked all day and the other only worked for an hour but they all still got paid the same. So they went to the landowner and argued about their wages. The landowner told them that they agreed for a denarius a day and that's what he is paying them.
- In our Christian life, God is the landowner and the laborers are His believers. Sometimes there are Christians who feel like they deserve more than others because they have been saved the longest. Some think that they should get more because of their heritage and "hard work" or more good deeds. They think that they would get rewarded more because they did more but Jesus reminded us that we are all working for one thing which is our salvation. This salvation is not based on how long we were Christians or how many good things we have done but by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ and our repentance of our sins. We should not be jealous of what God has blessed others but instead thank Him and glorify Him for everything that He has given us. Don't be jealous because God has accepted murderers, outcasts, and sinners the same way He did for you even though you have been a law-abiding, true follower for decades. God will take back anybody when they ask for forgiveness and instead of feeling envious, we should rejoice that another soul had been saved.
II. God's Gifts to the Corinthian Church
- In Corinthians 1:1-9, Paul wrote this epistle for the leaders and followers of Christ in the Corinthian Church. Paul reminded them that God has blessed them with spiritual gifts but instead of using them to worship and glorify God, they have wasted their time arguing to each other which gifts were more important. We are also reminded that God has given us these same gifts and we should not use them to get fame or money but to serve the Lord and our fellow believers.
III. Proverbs for Today/10:6-7
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
IV. Additional Old Testament Reading
Leviticus 9:7-24, Leviticus 10, and Psalms 37:30-40
