Turning On the Lights! Tuesday July 23, 2024 Let’s talk about the last hour of salvation
Good morning, Good morning my brothers and my sisters and welcome to another episode of Turning On the Lights! It is Tuesday July 23, 2024 and today we open Matthew chapter 20 and talk about the parable of the vineyard workers. Is it fair that those who come to Christ at the “last hour” receive the same gift as those who come to Christ early in life and live a life seeking the Kingdom?
We don’t think it is – but we are not God. Are you OK with that?
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God bless you and have amazing weeks!
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This is a transcript from the audio of this episode of Turning on the Lights! – Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Good morning, good morning. Let me see if things are working there. There that’s working. Brothers and sisters, we have an individual who is actually calling Comcast business today because of these particular these issues. If you watch online, you’ll notice that the internet that we pay dearly for doesn’t work. And I know that it’s just internet. I know that that’s not church. I know that that is extraneous. I know all of those things, but I also know that it is very frustrating when you’re trying to provide that for individuals. And I know individuals who actually do prepare their elements and that sort of thing for services of the ordinances and then boom Internet’s up, Internet’s down. We have to try to save and piece together. What little of the service that we can and it’s been happening more and more. I know the summer has been brutal and all of those different things, but it’s still frustrating. So you saw the beginning of turning on the lights that has been dumped in the trash because it said that the live stream had been disrupted and ended. And so here we are again. Good morning. Dee Burke pile, Berkey pile. Mama Dee, it’s easier to say. We’re talking about salvation this week on the podcast on the live stream, the Churchtown Weekly. I’m going to be talking about one particular piece of scripture that people have a really hard time with. You want to talk about tough texts? People have a really hard time with it and we’re going to get down to the bottom of why people have a hard time with it, but we’re going to read it first. So father, we do pray that your word will permeate this world and be a light. In the darkness that for your believers, your word will be a light unto their feet that we may be guided in every step we take in Jesus name. Amen. If you keep in track, yeah, it’s a low-key Tuesday. Hard work yesterday. I’ve not been well. My back has been a hot mess over the past almost month now and it’s just getting to the point where okay, I get it enough enough. And one day I’m seemingly just perfectly fine another day. Then I’m not and it’s getting to be again very annoying much like the internet around here is very annoying. So thank you for your thoughts and your prayers and all of that, but it is a overall things are fantastic. If you’re keeping track, if you’re following along, I want to take a look at Matthew chapter 20. Oh, you know where we’re going with this, don’t you? Salvation. Now we talk a lot about salvation. What it means to be saved. Those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved, right? Believe with your mind, profess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and you will be saved. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Those who persevere to the end will be saved. We talk an awful lot about that. All have fallen short of the glory of God. All are in need of a Savior and we share that on a daily weekly basis. And we talk about understanding right and and believing in your heart professing with your mouth, denouncing the forces of evil of this world, choosing to follow the way the way and the only way that you can follow the way is to be in dwelled by God’s Holy Spirit. We talk extensively about that. I want to talk about a very unique aspect of salvation that I said before, lots of people have an issue with. And that is the repentance of an individual on their deathbed. The repentance of an individual in the last hour. Regardless of what that individual, how that individual may have lived until that point. Is it valid? Is it fair? These are questions that we ask ourselves, but they’re clearly answered in scripture. We just don’t really like the answer. So let’s read the parable. It is Matthew chapter 20. And again, you can read all of these things for yourselves in a various different translations, use your Bible software and compare and contrast and do all kinds of different things. There are great resources available at your fingertips today. Some cost like Logos Bible software and many do not be leery. Make sure that it is a credible resource. Look, always invest. This is what used to drive my professors crazy at seminary. And then when I went into that farce of a doctoral program, I would always look at the sources of information. I never take anything just at face value is like sort of trying to learn all of your politics or all of your theology through memes on Facebook like, okay, there’s a statement. How true is it? Where did it come from? Do you even know all of those things? So I would go back and I would find the source and then many of the professors, especially in the doctoral program would be like, why do you why because it matters? If you want to find out what a person truly believes, don’t listen to what they say. Watch what they do. I want to know about that person’s life. And if it is honoring Christ, I want to know about that person’s work. And if it is honoring Christ, I want to know if they’re trying to make a buck or if they have a particular agenda in mind. So all of that to say there are a lot of great resources out there electronic and otherwise, but we always do want to check the source. Right the Berean study Bible is a very good source Bible Gateway. A little bit of iffyness there Bible hub is a really good one a really good one. You can do all kinds of referencing cross referencing all kinds of things. So there’s your little lecture on sourcing and go ahead and please drive people crazy. I don’t respond to means and all if one if something I come across on social media strikes me then I will research it to see if it is actually true. If somebody actually said that or if that is an actual fact because I could say anything that I want to I could even attribute it to anybody that I wanted to and I do believe as you know, we get into these conversations political theological social whatever the case may be that a lot of people are educated by memes on social media. There’s a talking point. This is how we ingest our knowledge. Now I am of the public school as well, but I am 45 years removed from the public school back when they used to teach things like civics. They used to teach things about American history the good the bad and the ugly. Right of American history. We learned how the constant why the Constitution was such a revolutionary document how our government is supposed to work. I got into a conversation because Republicans packed the court last time that Trump was you don’t I don’t think that term means what the meme told you it means court packing is not when there’s a political party in power and they have openings on the Supreme Court. And so that political party that has the majority gets conservative or liberal judges in there. That’s not court packing. Court packing is what FDR tried to do and what our current administration is thinking is talking about doing expanding the court while they’re in power because they don’t like the court as it is now expanding the number of justices and then putting their own people in there. That’s packing the court FDR wanted to do that to get his new deal passed. So there’s just a little example I do and it was a respectful conversation. It was educational but I had to explain that to a grown adult who had never what and he said no the executive can’t mess with the judicial and the judicial can’t mess or you were to the separation of powers and checks and balances what no people just think regardless that like the president can boom and then things happen and it’s not the way it is designed to work. So there’s your little rabbit trail for today and if an individual much like talking about the Word of God if an individual really wants to talk about those things. I’m always willing to talk about them because I think the more people actually know the better off we all are. There’s context and there’s continuity and there’s understanding of how things work socially politically economically and of course theologically we’re talking about salvation and how that works and so we will circle back around off of our rabbit trail and get back into Matthew 20 where we will start our week’s worth of study. For the kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his Vineyard. Now, remember, I’m not going to preach all the way through it, but we talked a lot in previous episodes about the kingdom of God the mustard seed and so on and so forth the yeast and in a three measures of flour all of that how the kingdom of God permeates. This is a different aspect of the kingdom of God. These are about this is about the individuals who enter the kingdom of God and it’s important to understand that not just talking about the kingdom of God in general and how it permeates through this Earth right now brought on by the first risen of the risen Jesus Christ. So anyway, he went to he hired workers wanted to hire workers for his Vineyard. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. That was early in the morning. At nine o’clock in the morning. He was passing through the marketplace all some people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. So they went to work in the Vineyard at noon and again at three o’clock. He did the same thing at five o’clock that afternoon. He was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them. Why haven’t you been working today? They replied because no one hired us. This is important to understand. Hi Joel. Because nobody hired us is going to be a reflection of the church. Now, you can probably begin to process that and okay, so they’ve been standing around all day not knowing about the work that is available. Why? Because nobody hired them. Nobody told them. So that’s a reflection of the church and will and that’s going to be part of the core of the issue here. The landowner and landowner told them then go out and join the others in my Vineyard that evening. He told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them beginning with the last workers first. When those hired at five o’clock were paid each received a full day’s wage when those hired first came to get their pay. They assumed they would receive more but they too were paid a day’s wage when they received their pay. They protested to the owner. Those people worked only one hour and yet you have paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat. He answered one of them friend. I haven’t been on fair. Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money. Should you be jealous because I am kind to others. So those who are last now will be first then and those who are first will be last. Now that last statement. We’re going to set that aside. We’ll get to that then but we see the uniqueness when we talk about this metaphor this parable of salvation the reward that those who will answer the call receive whether you answered that call as a young person or as an older person or as a young person. Good morning as a young person who realizes or middle-aged whatever that they are dying. Let’s be you know upfront about this whatever the case may be you’re realizing that it is your last hour or perhaps the church your Christian friend whatever are realizing that it is your last hour. Is it fair for an individual who has lived an absolutely ungodly life. To receive the same reward of salvation as somebody who has lived life in accordance with the will of God. That’s the core issue and the core issue of course is fairness. And God’s fairness in that definition compared to our definition of fairness. Now we often talk about that we use interchangeably the words equal and fair but they are not. To treat everybody equally right can mean that you cut the trees off all at the same height. To treat people fairly means that those trees who are growing to the sky you nurture and you fertilize and those trees that don’t have that same opportunity you still take care of them. Does that make sense? But you’re not treating everybody the same you’re treating each individual according to who they are how God has gifted them. How they behave. Again, if you treat everybody equally you can take the saw and cut it all off at the same height. Now you have stunted the growth of an individual and you have stopped really the growth of all. So I do hope that we understand you say well in this case aren’t they being treated equally. Or are they being treated fairly? Well, there’s I think there’s a bit of both going on here because as God looks at his image bearers, he sees his special creation. He sees those who bear his image and likeness. He sees those who bear his name upon them. And in that sense, he’s treating them equally because you are his special creation regardless of your age regardless of what may be happening now in your life regardless of if you’ve led an ungodly life or a godly life. He sees his image bearer and his desire is to treat them equally in terms of the grace of God available. The fairness comes in when the fairness issue is a human problem, not a God problem. It’s a human issue, not a God issue. We look upon this and say that’s not fair. Have I not lived a life? Worthy of my calling. When I was 14 and I gave my life to Jesus, I have been faithful and true. I have persevered. I have sought God’s will earnestly and we’re going to make the assumption that all of that is very true and earnest and honest and I have done the work when we talk about James the book of James and I’ve done the work. I’ve done what Jesus has asked me to do. Wherever I have been planted. I have bloomed. I have shared the kingdom of God. I’ve shared the gospel. I’ve done all of those things. You’re telling me that this criminal over here. Who professes repentance before they are? Sentenced to death. Will receive the same reward as me and the answer clearly is yes. But we know about salvation, don’t we? It the answer is not. Yes, if the individual is like, oh, maybe I can get out of going to hell. Okay, I believe in God. I believe in Jesus. The answer remember the individual I described who gave their life at 14. It was authentic and it was genuine. It must be authentic and genuine as well. Even if it is a convicted murderer facing the death penalty. If it is authentic and genuine. If the repentance is true and they have turned to the Lord and they do believe in their heart and they do profess with their mouth and it is a truly a relationship with God is born that day through the power the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. The answer is yes. We’re the ones that have a problem with that. God is the one with his generous grace. Who will give to all who will call upon his name? All who will believe in the completed work of the cross salvation through Christ Redemption of their soul regeneration rebirth. Whether that last five minutes or whether that last 50 years or more. Is irrelevant to the conversation to the reality. So this parable is very direct and we talked about the individual who is hired. So let’s go back got a couple of minutes and talk about the individual who is hired at 5 p.m. Why they say are you still standing around because nobody has hired me. So whose fault is it really? Now there is there is mutual right but whose fault really is it really I will take it one step further if that individual has never heard the name of Jesus Christ in context of salvation through Jesus Christ. They’ve never heard the good news if they’ve never heard the gospel. It’s not their fault. That’s our fault. If they’ve never heard the name of Jesus Christ other than when it is attached to every vulgarity and obscenity that human beings can think of if they’ve never been reached by an individual who says brother sister, let me share with you this good news. All your sin can be redeemed and you can be reborn a child of God indwelled by the very power of God to live life and live it to the full. That’s not their issue. That’s the church’s issue. That’s the in the Christians issue. If we are afraid to speak with those people, if we are afraid to live a life boldly. We talked about that in church again on Sunday living a life boldly Christian outside of these walls. Are you okay with that or are you afraid right? We’re always accused Christians are always accused of being judgmental yet. Most Christians will not evangelize because they fear judgment. You’re going to judge me for being a Christian. Are we okay and are we comfortable? Can we speak to that individual who has been standing around all day and never heard the word of God never heard that this opportunity Vineyard to stay in the parable. This opportunity is even available. Nobody has hired them. Nobody told them. Now I said there is mutual. These things are not mutually exclusive and individual very well may have heard the good news may have sat in church as a child may have sat in church as an adult and they rejected it. But as time goes on as situations occur and whatever the case may be they’ve come around to embrace. Jesus Christ. They’ve come around to truly repent. They know the church is there. They’ve heard the good news. They know that there are people. Who will love them and share with them and support them that individual as well. Now that is their issue. They’ve heard the good news and they rejected it. They have they knew of all of this work that was available to stay in the parable. They knew of all this work that is available and they said no, thank you. And then at five o’clock, they realize well, I got to make at least a dollar or two here because I need to get some dinner and then they Hey. So there are two forces at work here God’s will. And human will. And the only constant in the entire situation is God’s desire to redeem his creation. The constant in the situation is God’s desire to redeem his image bears. The constant in the situation is the grace of God that is available to all who will repent and turn. And lay their lives at the feet of Jesus. That does not have an expiration date that does not have a particular time. All that must occur between the ages of 13 and 15 or that must occur by the time you are legal adult at 18. There’s nothing like that attached to it. And we don’t understand. Maybe we have a taste of that when we look at our own children and we say there isn’t anything that you could do that would not make me love you. Less there isn’t anything that you could do. And so we have a bit of a taste of that, I guess and so that child can wander and stray and be gone and do the whole prodigal walk and all of those things and we would continue. We would be there with open arms. That’s not always the case, but for most thinking, feeling, loving adults, it is the case. So we have a little bit of that going on. So the question is, here’s the gotcha question. Now, I’ve tried to explain this in larger theological terms, right in a larger theological picture under a larger theological umbrella. Here’s the gotcha question that Christians always receive. Are you telling me that on his deathbed Adolf Hitler could be saved that that’s a God I don’t even want to be associated with. Okay, there’s your gotcha question. After all of the conversation that we just had about this. I hope that you would be able to respond to that gotcha question, which again, we talked about being educated by memes. Oftentimes. This is where Christians must defend the faith with these prescribed gotcha questions. So Adolf Hitler would go to heaven if he repented. The answer is. Yes. Just like you and me, if the repentance. Is authentic. There’s no difference between those two, the evil. The evil person, the one who has lived a life of evil. Guess what? You’re there to was your repentance authentic. Do you believe in your heart? Have you professed with your mouth? And do you live a life worthy of your calling all of those things? Are you persevering? Do you seek the kingdom of God first in all things? Are you living? Do you seek his will in all things? The same questions or can be asked of you because if your original repentance and your original turning and your original profession of faith is not authentic, then You’re not saved. Remember God’s desire to redeem his creation. So it’s not apples and oranges. It’s apples and apples. And people have a really hard time with that. And it’s hard not to have a hard time, especially with when you go to that gotcha question. I use the convicted murderer facing the capital punishment. But the gotcha question is always Hitler, Hitler, good heavens. We compare everybody to Hitler these days anyway, so But the theological issue at hand is the issue of God’s grace and his desire to redeem his creation, his desire to redeem every image bearer. That is, of course, every human. So that could stir up a little something something inside of you. I reckon something to think about something to ask questions about down there and we will respond to those questions. I’m going to respond to some of the questions that people have about this in the church town weekly devotional and then we’ll get back to it on Friday with different piece of scripture that describes the same thing. Okay. So consider your feelings and your definitions of equity and fairness compared to Yahweh. Who is goodness who is fairness? Right and we under we understand these things differently. As broken human beings. I want what I think I deserve. Father God, we pray that your word would continue to penetrate hearts and minds. We pray that your kingdom would continue to grow regardless. Of the situations and circumstances of those who are saved. We know your heart is to redeem your creation. You’ve made that very clear from Genesis. Through the resurrection. Lord soften our hearts so that we may embrace in some sense. The grace. That you provide. For your creation. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Mama Dee. That’s a good one right there. Look that look up that reference as well. Look, do you got your Bible study stuff going on? Look up God’s grace. Look up salvation. I mean salvation is all of scripture. Right every piece of scripture deals with the heart of God. God and the heart of man. And how the heart of man responds to the heart of God. Right all of the material sacrifices are useless. If you have a heart of stone. That’s Old Testament stuff right there. So my prayer is that you have a heart of flesh that you have turned and that you seek first the kingdom of God and all things in Jesus name. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, I know you do. I know you understand but I appreciate that, you know, like I said, it’s an annoyance in my life and but we’ll get through it. So God bless you guys. Good Lord willing in the creek. Don’t rise. It’s nice to have some rain yesterday. I’ll see you on Friday for turning on the lights.
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