Welcome to our online worship for Sunday, June 7, 2020
The Parable of the Vineyard
This story that Jesus told doesn’t seem to make sense at first. It’s about harvest time and the
owner keeps hiring workers to bring in the harvest. This is pretty normal. The standard work day
is 12 hours. The first workers that were hired early that day agreed to work for a denarius (a
day’s wages) This is good for the workers because they will be able to buy food for their families.
But the owner does something that surprises these laborers and even upsets them. The owner
pays the last one’s hired and gives them a full day’s wages! (Their families get hungry, too.) He
does the same with the ones that worked nine, six, and three hours. All the workers received a
full day’s wages. The workers who put in a 12 hour day when they see what transpired were
now expecting to get a bonus. They did not. The heart of the story is that we have a God of
grace that is a generous God. He calls us to do the same. Who do you know that could use a
generous dose of God’s grace this week? Could this come from you?
owner keeps hiring workers to bring in the harvest. This is pretty normal. The standard work day
is 12 hours. The first workers that were hired early that day agreed to work for a denarius (a
day’s wages) This is good for the workers because they will be able to buy food for their families.
But the owner does something that surprises these laborers and even upsets them. The owner
pays the last one’s hired and gives them a full day’s wages! (Their families get hungry, too.) He
does the same with the ones that worked nine, six, and three hours. All the workers received a
full day’s wages. The workers who put in a 12 hour day when they see what transpired were
now expecting to get a bonus. They did not. The heart of the story is that we have a God of
grace that is a generous God. He calls us to do the same. Who do you know that could use a
generous dose of God’s grace this week? Could this come from you?
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Prelude
Brian Turner Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise UMH 103 Smith/Roberts Tune: ST DENIO Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. |
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Special Music
Andrea Bailey and Brian Turner We Shall Overcome UMH 533 Afro-American Spiritual adapt. by William Farley Smith TUNE: MARTIN 1. We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome some day CHORUS: Oh, deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome some day 2. We'll walk hand in hand 3. We shall all be free 4. We shall live in peace. 5. The Lord will see us through. |
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Prayer
Come Holy Spirit!
Come, Holy Spirit! Rain upon our dry and dusty lives.
Wash away our sin and heal our wounded
spirits. Kindle within us the fire of your love to burn away our apathy.
With your warmth bend our rigidity,
and guide our wandering feet.
Amen
Come Holy Spirit!
Come, Holy Spirit! Rain upon our dry and dusty lives.
Wash away our sin and heal our wounded
spirits. Kindle within us the fire of your love to burn away our apathy.
With your warmth bend our rigidity,
and guide our wandering feet.
Amen
Scripture
Matthew 20:1-16 NIV
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
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 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?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Matthew 20:1-16 NIV
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
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 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?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
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Message Pastor John Fowler The Parable of the Vineyard Workers |
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Offertory
Andrea Bailey and Derrick Everhart Spirit Song UMH 347 by: John Wimber TUNE:SPIRIT SONG Oh, let the Son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love; Let him fill your heart and satisfy your soul. Oh, let him have the things that hold you, and his Spirit, like a dove, Will descend upon your life and make you whole. Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs. Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs. Oh, come and sing the song with gladness as your hearts are filled with joy. Lift your hands in sweet surrender to his name. Oh, give him all your tears and sadness, give him all your years of pain, And you'll enter into life in Jesus' name. Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs. Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs. |
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Kid's Message
Kim Garland Jesus Tells the Story of Paying the Workers |
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Postlude
Brian Turner More Precious Than Silver Lynn DeSHAZO arr. by Mark Hayes |
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Go, in Peace, to Love and
Serve the Lord;
and May His love burn brightly
in your heart!
Serve the Lord;
and May His love burn brightly
in your heart!