January 6 ABF

Here is last week's (Jan. 6) ABF so that you can catch up if you weren't there :)

Rolling Stone

Parables of Jesus: Humility & Prayer

January 6, 2013

The Kingdom of Heaven:

The Workers in the Vineyard

Matthew 20:1-16

I. Background in Matthew

Ch 3 begins the narrative of Jesus’ ministry.

Ch3-7:29 à Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven, ending with the Sermon on the Mount – how people should live under the reign of the Almighty

Ch 8-11:1 à Ministry in Galilee, instructions to disciples for their ministry

Ch 11:2-13:52 à controversial events involving Jesus; 7 parables describing some aspect of the Kingdom of heaven coupled with necessary human response (we will get into these around Jan 27^th)

Ch 13:53-18:35 à concerns the conduct of believers within Christian fellowship

Ch19-25:26 à final journey to Jerusalem and conflict with Judaism; the last things, events/teachings pertaining to the Crucifixion, Resurrection, Commission to the church

The Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 5 – beatitudes

Poor in Spirit: recognizing spiritual poverty, denying self-dependence, seeking God’s grace

Those who mourn: including those who experience sorrow for repentance – they will be comforted

Meek:  controlled strength; humility and self-discipline

Persecution: because of loyalty to righteousness – great is your reward in heaven.

Christ Fulfills the Law – 5:17-20

            - Christ came to fulfill the law, to be preserved as He interprets it: Jot and tittle signifying small marks that distinguish letters in the Greek/Hebrew alphabet.  v20 – the Kingdom requirement is righteousness at heart – not by legalism

The Narrow Way – 7:13,14

            - Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Jesus is the way to salvation and righteousness.

Purpose of Parables – 13:10-17

            - make spiritual truths clearer to hearers; put truth in form easily remembered; avoid offense with hostile peple who would not receive the truth; declare judgment upon those who were willfully blind

            -followers of Jesus will understand or will probe for deeper understanding.  Those who have shut their eyes/ears to the truth will not realize the significance of what they are seeing and hearing, consequently will not repent and receive forgiveness.

We pick up in 19:23 that leads up to 20:1-16

1. Who is the audience?

            -Disciples; it grows out of the attitude they had toward service and rewards.  Jesus rebukes the spirit of serving for a reward itself rather than out of love

            -What is 19:23,24 saying? – trust in riches over God makes it impossible to enter heaven

            .

2. What are the points of reference?

            -Landowner: God

            -hirees: Jews, Gentiles

            -vineyard: Kingdom, the work to be done

            -days wage: Denarius, the reward

            -the Marketplace: the world

3. What is the meaning to each potential audience?

            -landowner: decides how to manage his land, the worth of a days wage, who to hire/fire

            -hirees: at the mercy of the landowner, do not own the land, awaiting for work

                        -what are their complaints?

                        -how does the landowner respond?

                        -what about those who are hired later?

                                    -what are their two states? Idle  vs hired/diligent

            -vineyard: the kingdom, the work zone, mission field, etc

            -days wage: the reward, is it out of debt? does he reward obedience and effort?

4. How can we tell this parable in our own words?       

            -parallel the reward to eternal life: those who acknowledge JC as Savior and confess sin, follow Him receive eternal life; however, ones who on their death bed who acknowledge JC as Savior and confess sin receive eternal life.  

5. How can we see the gospel/kingdom at work in this parable?

            -the hirees were handpicked…chosen

            -they had their reward coming – their inheritance, if you will

            1. Jews were called first – they had the law

            2. The gentiles heard the gospel later – they should receive the same gospel, same reward, equal privileges in the kingdom

            3. the reward is given to SAINTS, believers not by their work or the timing of their conversion (it’s not who you know) but it’s the reward of salvation

            4. We all were idle in the market, unhired, awaiting for something to happen.  Jesus came, with life and salvation and now God calls us to eternal life – he calls us out of the marketplace

           

6. How do these ideas apply to our lives/marriages?

    - Love is the theme – God’s love.  His grace.  Salvation.  It is not by our work, but by His grace.  Not by what good we do, but by the goodness of His love.  How deep can we get to this?