Lunenburg United Methodist Charge
Antioch UMC Williams UMC
On our walk. . . . .
May 14, 2009
Matthew 20:1-20:16
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went.
"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered.’ He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'”
"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.' "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men 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.'
"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Let’s take a look at this parable from the perspective of stewardship. First of all...what is stewardship? Stewardship is simply the wise management of God’s resources. And as Christians, we are called to manage those resources. So, stewardship is as much about living as it is about giving.
When we joined the Church we promised God that we would be loyal to The United Methodist Church (and locally to Antioch and Williams United Methodist Churches), and uphold it by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service. And I believe that God will hold us accountable by how well we upheld our end of that bargain because it is our responsibility to always be reaching out to lost souls with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And the better we are at being good stewards by our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service the more possible it is for us to be able to reach the world with what is our primary stewardship--the most valued treasure of all--something we possess through the gift of faith--that is the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ to those people who have not yet received it. Stewardship--in a nutshell--is what a person does after he or she says, “I believe.”
In our parable, God the Father is portrayed as the owner of all things and we are His managers. The owner is God. The workers are us. The work is our calling, and the pay is the rewards we receive for our faithfulness and productivity.
The problem in the parable is the attitude the people have about their money. Wrong attitudes contribute to money problems in the church, but the solution to money problems is not getting more money than someone else. The solution to money problems is developing the right attitude toward money and a right attitude toward money will affect every other area of our lives.
Rich Warren says that giving benefits his life in at least 7 different ways:
“Giving makes me more like God...
....Giving draws me closer to God...
....Giving breaks the grip of materialism...
....Giving strengthens my faith....
....Giving is an investment for eternity...
....Giving blesses me in return....
....Giving makes me happy!
And let’s face it; we were useless until we were found in the marketplace.
Life is a marketplace of people waiting for the opportunity to do something. Every person has great potential which is waiting to be discovered. The laborers in Jesus’ parable would have stayed in the marketplace all day if the landowner had not come and given them a job. The landowner’s call--like our call from God--was the beginning of their self-worth and their productivity. And some of the workers complained: “You have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.”
They were complaining that they had worked all day and had endured the hot sun, but those who had joined in the last hour got the same pay. But in fact, if the landowner had not come to the marketplace and chosen them, they would have received nothing!
We must all remember that the field belongs to God...not to us! The places where we work, whether they are in the church, in the world, or in any other place of ministry--they are God’s field! And God has sent us into His field. Jesus said, “I will build my church,” in Matthew chapter 16 and the possessive pronoun “my” tells us right off that the Church belongs to Him. And the fruits of the harvest belong to God as well, not to us. When we work for Jesus Christ, we must remember that salvation is a free gift from Him.
Too often people get possessive, and think that the church--the Sunday school classes, the Bible studies, the ministries, and the converts belong to us, but it is God who is the Lord of the harvest! It’s not only His field--it’s also His harvest! We are the workers and we are among many who serve the owner--who is God.
The apostle Paul describes us as a part of the body of Christ, “and as a part of the body we must always work in harmony--never in competition! Because our mission is one--our mission is to “Go, make disciples of all nations.”
Some people think that dropping 10 percent of their income into the offering plate is like rubbing a rabbit’s foot--that God will do something magical in return. But God is not a guaranteed lottery! When people pay their tithe to God, it is an evidence of a changed attitude, a renewed spirit. They are giving to God out of gratitude, obedience, and worship in giving to God--their changed attitude produces other changes in their lives that will prosper them spiritually and financially.
It’s part of the Christian Journey toward perfection and abundant Life in Christ. And God judges us by our faithfulness--not by our success. God wants us to do our best. God...the owner of the field....knows that not every worker will produce the same, so he judges each worker by his or her faithfulness. If a person will do the best that can be done with the tools God has given them, God is satisfied with the effort.
The worst thing we can do is to be nonproductive. Workers were standing around the marketplace and nothing to do. When the landowner showed up, he asked the question, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?” God doesn’t want His people to be idle while there is a lot of important work to do in the field!
Some people think that they can boycott God’s work; that they can sit down on the job, or even strike. But God would ask them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?” How many of us have put up door-hangers, handed out invitation cards, how many of us have been sharing our faith in Christ?
In the parable, the landowner asks, “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?” Obviously, the answer is yes! In our lives God can do with us what He pleases. It is our responsibility to yield to Him, to let Him guide us, to let Him direct us. And the Good News is that God’s plans for us are good! “I am generous,” the landowner reminded the workers. God wants us to prosper.
“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you.”
Now, sometimes we take the initiative out of God’s hand, because we don’t trust Him. Our lack of faith in God’s goodness causes us to mistrust his purpose, but His purpose for us is good!
Now, we must demonstrate our productivity by our faithfulness. It is not enough just to be put to work in the field. We must be faithful, and we must please the owner. We all must go beyond the call to merely believe in Christ, we must demonstrate that faith by our faithfulness, preparation and service.
In the parable, the landowner went out into the marketplace and saw people standing there doing nothing. “He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.”
“So they went.”
Have a blessed week Rev. Ed
This Weeks Event:
Friday, May 15
Williams Campfire Gathering @ Williams @ 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 16
Williams Stew and Yard Sale @ Tom and Wille Ann Thompson’s
Monday, May 17
Bible Study @ Antioch @ 7:00 PM
Tuesday, May 18
Bible Study @ Audrey Smith’s @ 10:00 AM
Wednesday, May 19
Prayer Meeting @ Williams @ 5:45 PM
Choir Practice @ Williams @ 6:30 PM
Worship Events –May 17, 2008
Service Theme: Being Friends with God
This week’s reading will be: Sermon Text – John 15:9-15:17
Hebrew Text – Psalm 98 (UMH 818)
Special Worship Events: Communion
GRADUATION SUNDAY
We will be celebrating all the new graduates in our churches on Sunday, June 7th. Please plan on attending this special occasion to help us lift up all of the graduates who have worked so hard through the years. Let’s make sure they know we are proud of their accomplishment. If you have someone who is graduating, please be sure to let me know by June 1st.
Sunday School is available each Sunday morning. The importance of Sunday School is that, though you may think hearing the word will suffice for you, you really need to be in attendance at Sunday School to gather all the information that you can in an open discussion classroom. Jesus’ word cannot be totally understood just by listening to a sermon. You have to interact with it and with other Christians to learn what He was saying to us. This is a life long study and you should take part. There is a class for every age so please plan on joining us to learn more about our Lord, Jesus Christ. Sunday School at Williams begins at 10:45 AM and at Antioch at 10:00 AM.
Evening Bible Study Evening Bible study will continue at 7:00PM at Antioch. We will be reviewing Jeremiah. We will discuss the events depicted in the book. If you are looking for a study of God’s word join us not only for the study, but good fellowship.
Morning Bible Study. Morning Bible study will continue at 10:00AM at Audrey Smith’s house. We will be reviewing Isaiah. We will discuss the events depicted in the book. If you are looking for a study of God’s word join us not only for the study, but good fellowship.
If you cannot reach Rev. Ed at the parsonage, you may call him on his cell phone: 252-532-0952 or 252-537-5705. He can also be reached via e-mail at revedumc@yahoo.com . If you would like to receive e-mail messages from the pastor send an e-mail to him at revedumc@yahoo.com and we will add you to our list.
Mother’s Day Program
The Mother’s Day Program at Antioch was a huge success as always. The children were precious and I know that many mothers were smiling and the love just shone through. We all enjoyed the morning’s performances. Many thanks to Susan Moseley, Sara Stallings, Elizabeth Buchanan and those who helped with printing the bulletins.
Prayer Gram.
Please, when putting somebody’s name on our prayer list, PRINT their names and addresses if you have them. This will help us get the prayer grams out sooner and it will also make it easier to read during services.
Concentrate on this Sentence
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
Concentrate on this sentence... The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.
Prayer List
Please keep the following families in your prayers:
Becky Eades & boys
Edna A. Bagley
Dee Welch
Harry & Margaret Smith
Edith Parham
Bernard Bottoms
Carolyn Moseley
Tommy Cage
Bertha Bottoms
CV & Agnes Thompson
Grace DiStefano
Betty Reese
Nathan Hendricks
Gertrude Hite
Betty Yerby
Vincent Callis
Ed Murphy
Bertha Arthur
Sgt Christopher Thompson
Danny Horne
Allen Alcock
Elizabeth Biggerstaff
Elizabeth Crowder
Don Haley
Kathy Springer
Arthur Graves
Layton Powell
Fred & Denise Harper
Clarence Perkins
Alicia Clary
Lori, John , Braden McDaniel
Ruthie Turner
Laura Dutzman
Dorothy Ann Irby
Jo Anne Doty
Justin McDaniel
Ashley Grant
Jean Stansbury
Ryland Hamlett
Marjorie Thompson
Dennis Moore
Jimmy Wilmouth
Frances Hawthorne
Ronnie Pennington
Thelma Smart
Dr & Mrs Joseph Ilacqua
Sheila Cage
Tom Fowler
Rae & Hannah Heath
Hilda Ozlin
Jeff Hendricks
Nellie Heath Lewis
Red Tanner
Mae Overby
Rev. Liz Buxton
Gay Nolan
Betty Jo Amos
Kay Thompson & girls
Doug Winn
Maria Kay
Earl "Chucky” Barnes
Dorothy Driskill
Dennis Chumney
Bobby & Virginia Overby
Sam Armstrong
Dorothy Shields
Dwight Callis
Justine Mc Henry
Betty Roegge
Rev. Robert Day
Peter Perkins
Sweet Shoppe
Once again, the Kenbridge Wild Game, Stew & BBQ Cook-Off is asking Lunenburg County church congregations for help in providing baked goods to the Sweet Shoppe. Everyone is looking forward to more of the delicious goodies you donated last year!
1. Desserts that can be served in individual portions are best, for example:
Cookies, Brownies, Pies, Layer Cakes, Sheet Cakes, Pound Cakes
2. Please wrap all items securely.
3. If bringing cookies or brownies, please bag them:
three (3) to a sandwich bag if small
two (2) to a bag if large
4. Bring baked goods to the Cook-Off site – at Lunenburg Commerce Centre/Lunenburg Industrial Park (out Main Street and just across from Barnes Manufacturing) on Friday, May 22, between 12 noon and 4 PM – look for the refrigerator truck and the Sweet Shoppe sign.
Have a Blessed Week!!!!
