The Sin of Entitlement

Good afternoon, if you do have a Bible turn to Matthew 20, and we're going to be reading

Matthew 21 through 16 Whenever you have passage open go ahead and stand for the reading of God's Word Matthew 21

For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard and After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day

He sent them into the vineyard and going about the third hour He saw others standing idle in the marketplace and to them

He said you go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right. I will give you so they went

Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour He did the same and about the 11th hour he went out and found others standing and he said to them

Why do you stand idle all day? They said to him because no one has hired us He said to them you go into the vineyard too

And when the evening comes the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman Call to the laborers and pay them their wages beginning with the last up to the first And when those who hired about the 11th hour came each of them received a denarius

Now when those who hired first came they thought they would receive more But each of them also received a denarius and on receiving it

They grumbled at the master of the house saying These last worked only one hour and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day in the scorching

Heat, but he replied to one of them friend. I'm doing you no wrong Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

Take what belongs to you and go I choose to give to this lack last worker as I give to you

Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?

So the last will be first and the first will be last It's the Word of Lord Spray Lord, we do.

Thank you for this opportunity to once again to think about the scriptures you have given to us Which are life to us?

Pray that you use your words to open a heart and open our eyes to ways in which we are prone to the sin of Entitlement Lord, I help

I pray that you help us to see Truths of Scripture and to humble ourself and repentance where needed and to use your words to Influence our friends and society to help them to love you more and more every day since I'm praying.

Amen Maybe seated now in their country.

There's been a great transition from talks of equality to talks of equity so if you know anything about the foundation of our nation, our nation was built on this notion of equality and Equality is a good concept that has plenty of application in the scriptures, you know

God is a God who Really has created all men as image bearers and there's a very very primary sense as image bearers of the

God who made us Particularly related to some of the things that we're talking about There's there's a there's a profound sense in which all of us stand equal as image bearers before our maker

You're obviously living in a society that takes that notion of equality and presses it in ways that haven't been intended by God flattening out distinctions and differences among people whether you're talking about different types of people or genders or whatever else you're talking about, but certainly there's there's a lot that has been abused about the notion of equality, but certainly equal there is a

Faithful and a biblical concept of equality that's taught in the scripture But recently if you've paid attention at all to some of the social justice concerns that are happening into the world

We've transitioned away from talking about equality to equity okay, so a lot of the language today is the language of equity about what's equitable over and against equality and Formally, these two things are different.

Okay, so Equity is very different than the notion of equality

So equality is the concept that everyone should be treated fairly according to the law So equality everyone should be treated fairly according to the law lady justice

Who is anthropomorphized in a statue its statue form at times? She's often pictured as blind because she is no respecter of persons

So the rich should be treated to the same standard as the poor that would be the classic notion of equality classic notion of Equality is it doesn't matter what the color of an individual the gender of an individual

Like it doesn't matter like who they are where their background their socio -economic standing

There should be laws like there should be laws that they're going to be held to so you shouldn't give preferential treatment to a man

Over and against a woman in a court of law because of notions of equality quality is good, right? You shouldn't show preferential treatment to a rich person over and against the poor because of equality

Both people should be held to the same standard of the law, which is administered impartially. That's all good.

That's all wonderful That's all great different types of people ethnicity should be held to the same standard of law

Because that's good right and that's right and lady justice is blind and certainly the

Bible talks over and over and over again about the importance of showing no partiality Everyone should be treated in terms of equality now equity is a different concept

That those who are advocating equity Are putting forward as a contrast to equality, okay?

So equity so equality is everyone is treated fairly according to the law Equity is adjusting shares to make sure that everyone is equal

Okay, you understand the difference adjusting shares to make sure everything's different equal

So most of your politicians today that talk about when you think they're talking about equality They're actually talking about equity and they and they talk about equity in a very direct in a straightforward way and some of this will

Be important later, but here's the concept so like in the classic example, and I say classic

But this is a few decades old at this point the classic example of equity, right?

You you might imagine a an illustration that's often used so there's a group of people that are varying heights

That are standing outside a fence to a baseball game I think it's really funny You're talking about equity and you're talking about people who are not paying for the game getting fair treatment to watch the game

That's that's kind of funny when you think about it, but you have three people you have you have a very tall man Who looks like a father you have a son who's a little bit younger, and then you have a son

Who's really small so with equality like here's here's the way to understand the difference with equality everyone would get a box

That's this tall because everyone gets the same box right well You could imagine what would happen so the dad would get that box

And he would see over the fence higher right the second son would get the same box

He would see he could barely see over the fence the third son would get The same box, and he would not be able to see over the fence at all

So that would be equality right everyone gets the same thing same treatment according to law well equity in social justice usage is

Adjusting shares to make sure everyone is equal so for everything to be fair if you're going to think in terms of equity this new

Word equity what would need to happen well dad would get smaller box

First son would get a little bit bigger box Second son would get really big box because the goal is to make everyone the same right you understand the difference

Go let's make everyone the same so all this notion of equity is built on the philosophy of The outcomes need to be the same so in order to have fair treatment

Outcomes need to be the same does it make sense So you have to adjust what you give people to make sure that you have the same outcome

All right, so here's some quotes That you should use and think about that analogy and think about the quotes, so here's

Obama It's not class warfare to say that folks who are doing well in this economy should pay a little bit more to give a chance to everyone else

What is that talking about is that talking about Is that talking about equality or equity right it's not class warfare to say those doing well in this economy should pay a little bit

More so all that you know when you think about the talk of taxes We're always talking about paying your fair share and what fair means is not fair in terms of equality

It's fair in terms of equity fair share means we need to make sure everyone's the same right same outcome Here's Kamala Harris in a campaign event in 2020

Equality suggests. Oh everyone should get the same amount the problem with that is not everyone starting out from the same place, right?

So you think about the kids in the analogy? It's about giving people the resources and support they need so that everyone can be on equal footing and then compete on equal footing

So you hear the things there? Here's Bernie Sanders in his 2020 speech goal is not only equality of opportunity

But but equity and results right so not just everyone gets same opportunity It ensure this equity of results people should not be condemned to a life of poverty because of the family they were born into Right it's

Or the neighborhood they live in so this Bernie Sanders and so what's happened is over the over the course of You know past 60 70 years or so.

We've had plenty of entitlement programs that we've developed In our nation that are aimed at creating different outcomes are the same outcome for everyone

That's the goal and a lot of these outcomes have not worked So here's Thomas Sowell on the quest for cosmic justice

One of the consequences of such welfare policies is that people do not develop the habit of working they become dependent on what they are

Given and thus come to view their dependency as a right. They've come to view their dependency as a right

Today we're going to be talking about the sin of entitlement and we're going to do so from Matthew 20 1 through 16 and When you think about this passage it really is important to think about the context that we're

Coming in so part of what we're doing when we're doing a study on this topic in general is there is a context that we put that this passage is put in and The passage itself you know it starts out with a four and as the preacher joke always goes

Whenever you see a four you're supposed to ask what it's for But that's certainly what you're supposed to do and if you want to know what the four there is for so as text starts out with for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went

Out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyards. You're supposed to ask well. What is that for well? Go back

Go back a little bit and see so in Matthew 1928

Jesus said to him said to them truly I say to you in the new world the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne you have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel and Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or land for my name's sake he will receive a hundred

Fold and will inherit eternal life, and here's the issue But many who are first will also be last

What God comes and when God returns? There's not just going to be a simple

Reversal of outcomes meaning the poor people in this life will be the rich people in heaven

It's not just a simple reversal but for many people there will be a Reversal you understand so looking at the language of passage is as many who are first will be last and the last first you understand so a

Dramatic example of this reversal in the eschaton could be seen in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus So when you think about the parable of Richmond and Lazarus in Lazarus life

He had bad things by comparison to the rich man You know he used to sit at the mat at the gate of the master's house and dogs would come and lick his sores need eat

The scraps that fell from the table, but there there was a reversal and that he was actually a

Christian who was saved who will meet Jesus in paradise in paradise.

He's comforted whereas the rich man who had good things in life He'll be tormented and so that'll be that'll be the case and and so part of what we're talking about here

And we're talking about principles of many who are first will be last and last will be first is we're talking about principles of justice

We're talking about principles of fairness. We're talking about principles of equality we're talking about principles related to God's justice and mercy that are going to come to head into the parable

That we're reading today So notice I want I do want to go through this parable and walk through some of the features

Of this parable and it is a fit as I said it is a parable it is about notions of fairness equality grace

Mercy judgment etc. So when you when you think about this parable what I'm going to do is I'm going to walk you through quickly the structure of the parable talk about things you already know

I'm sure all of you guys have heard this parable before I'm going to talk talk you through the structure of it, and then we'll talk about how we're applying it

So we think about the nature of the story itself Matthew 21 says this for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyards

So in the parable God is playing the role of the master of the house the master of the house loosely corresponds to God He's playing the

God role. There's you'll notice in verse 2. There's an agreed -upon wage So the master is hiring he goes out early to hire laborers for the vineyard

He agrees upon a wage with these laborers for a denarius a day, and he sent sent them to the vineyard to work

Okay, so first you see the agreed -upon wage Second you see that there are workers that are hired at different times

So there's workers that are hired at the third the sixth the ninth in the 11th hour Okay, so notice what it says.

This is going about this is verse 3 going about the third hour He saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them go into the vineyard to whatever is right

I will give you so they went and then going in the sixth hour the ninth hour He did the same so he hires he hires the original workers agrees upon them with the rage a denarius day

Then he continues going out in the marketplace at regular intervals at the third hour He hires more at the six hours.

He hired he hires More at 9th and 11th. He does the same but notice what the language is in verse 4

He said to those at the third hour He said you go into the vineyard to and whatever is right. I will give you

So pay attention to that pay attention to that. This is a parable about what is right?

This is a parable about what is just right is it like this is a parable about equality versus equity

That's what it's about you understand So whatever is right. He's going to give you he did the same to those of the sixth the ninth and 11th hour

He Hires them right so workers are hired at different times who will be paid what is right now notice in verse 8

There is a reversal in the expected pay order right so verse 8 when evening came the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman call the laborers and pay them their wages beginning with the last to the first That's a reversal of what we would expect to happen

Isn't it? So you would think that the workers who went out at the first hour would be paid first You would think that the workers who went out at the 11th hour would be paid last but notice

There's nothing in the contract that says what order they're going to be paid in and if you think about the nature of the way that the law works when

You have a day laborer you're and you have the money to pay them. You're supposed to pay them that day

That's what you're supposed to do So the law defines what is just the law defines what is right

And what is right is that if you have a day laborer you pay them that day now I mean, I don't know if you guys have worked for employers who?

Refuse to pay you on time, right Or they you know you they hire you for a project and then they never pay you right they are they they have the money

To pay you you ask them. Hey, when am I gonna paid? Yeah, I'll get it. I'll get it Yeah, I'll get it. And then you have to ask him three or four or five or ten times to When are you gonna pay me right?

That it's not a fun situation to be in but here's the thing like here's the thing The law demands that you pay your labor labor that your day laborers that day

Did the master pay the day laborers that day? Yes. Did he do what was right? Yes Did is he allowed to pay the last workers before the first sure

There's nothing in the contract that says he shouldn't but there's a reversal and what we intuitively would expect to happen at this point

All right. So the the last what happens then in verse 9 is you see that the last workers are paid

The rate that's agreed upon by the first workers So when they even came

Right the owner of the vineyard said to the foreman this verse 8 called the laborers and pay them their wages beginning with the last

After the first so we see the reversal and then it says in verse 9 and when those hired about the 11th hour came

Each of them received it in areas so Then the natural question arises if you're like a member of like who

If you're one of the first hour workers or the third hour worker or the sixth hour worker or the ninth hour worker

You're thinking well the 11th hour workers were paid in areas. I Guess because I work longer that means

I'm probably going to be paid more That would be the expectation that you might have that would be the expectation that they had in the story now

The the third hour the sixth hour and the ninth hour weren't told what they were going to be paid They just told that what they were going to be paid was right

You understand so they weren't told the first hour workers were told they're gonna get paid in areas But then they probably they're obviously thinking in their minds

Well, if you're paying the 11th hour worker who only worked one hour and then there is you're probably gonna pay me more But what happened so First our workers the last hour workers to pay the rate agreed upon for the first right first workers

Then in verse 10 the first hour workers get indignant and complain to the master because they see that they get the rate that they

Agreed upon they're not getting more So first in now when those who were hired first came they thought they would receive more

But each of them also received a Daenerys and on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house saying these last worked only one hour and You have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat

So what's the nature of their complaint? Unfair treatment, right?

Yes a complaint about justice. It's a complaint about fairness If you do more work, shouldn't you get paid more?

That's the nature of their complaint now. What's the problem? What's the problem here? The problem is the master paid them

The rate that they agreed upon didn't he so he paid them the wage they agreed upon He said if you work for me for a day,

I'll give you a Daenerys. He gave me there Daenerys So what we're talking about, we're not talking about an issue of justice or fairness

We're talking about an issue of generosity and the thing about generosity is this

Generosity is not owed Generosity is not deserved Generosity is not something that can be demanded.

In fact to demand generosity is to commit the sin of Entitlement notice how he replies.

He says he applied to one of them friend. I'm doing you no wrong Did you not agree with me for a

Daenerys? The answer is yes, you agreed to meet with me for a Daenerys. What did

I give you? I gave you a Daenerys take what belongs to you and go I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you

Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me, or do you begrudge my generosity?

All right, so the last will be first and the first will be last that's the story

So, what is the sin of entitlement sin of entitlement refers to an attitude or mindset where a person believes that they inherently deserve certain privileges rewards or Advantage without having earned or merit or merited them

Entitlement is fueled by pride and gratitude a lack of responsibility Resentment and envy and I mean you can see all these things coming to the forefront and the passage that we're thinking about today.

I Mean the reality is that the pest like the master's money belongs to the master doesn't it? If a master wants to hire one worker

To work for one hour and give him a Daenerys and hire another worker to work for You know 12 hours and then get them a

Daenerys is he allowed to do what he wants to do with his money The issue is yes, he's allowed to do whatever he wants to do with his money.

No one has a right to his money Do they? No one has a right to the master's money I'm allowed to do the same thing with my money, aren't

I? If I wanted to hire one of you to come over and work at my house, and I want to pay you you know $100 to work on my house

I'm allowed to do that and if you agree upon it and like I need to give you your money in the day that you Work, that's what the

Bible says. I should do I'm allowed to do that if I wanted to hire another of you for $1 ,000 To do the same exact job

Am I allowed to do what I want to do with my money Thank you I Am I'm allowed to do whatever

I want to do with my money now if you were the guy who was paid a hundred And you came to find out that I paid someone else at the church a thousand

Do you think you might be tempted? To get a little bit indignant with me and ask me why

I didn't pay you the thousand I only paid you to the hundred well the issue is you might You might ask me that but You know what that reveals about the nature of your heart

Is that you expect certain things of me that you you shouldn't expect right like I'm allowed to do whatever

I want to do with my money my money belongs to me So I'm allowed to I'm allowed to pay one worker one wage if I want to I'm allowed to pay another worker

Another wage justice isn't concerned with that Because justice is concerned with The rate that is agreed upon right so if I agree with upon you for a hundred you

You come and I give you a hundred I've done no injustice to you if I agree upon you a rate for a thousand

You did the same job you come you do your work. I give you your payment justice has been accomplished like that now the issue is

I've that extra nine hundred dollars. I gave to the other person would probably be an act of generosity on their part

My part to give to him, and I'm allowed to be generous to whom I've allowed to be generous You do not you're not owed my generosity my generosity doesn't belong to you right that For generosity is is not meant to be legislated demanded by other people it's something that's really given

Here as I said, I mean sin of entitlement. It really is a grievous sin

It Causes young people to go into credit card debt to achieve their parents standard of living in the first years of being responsible adults

You know entitlement is It prevents singles from getting married because they think they deserve a standard.

That's far beyond them It causes children children it causes you to see then bitterness towards your parents

Because you look and you see that other parents give their children

Privileges and possessions that your parents aren't giving you If you've ever been tempted to look at what another child has and compare that with What your parent has given you and been upset with your parents as a result of that then?

You are guilty of this sin of entitlement It's ruined economies

Destroyed legacies, it's brought amnesty to families and ultimately is destroyed souls Sin of entitlement is a pretty grievous sin.

So how do we fight it? How do we fight it brothers and sisters? Consider the cross Consider the cross.

This is a parable about the way the kingdom of heaven works This is a parable about God's justice and God's mercy.

This is a parable about the cross The cross is obviously the great equalizer when you consider the cross we all stand

Equally condemned before the cross, don't we? And when you think about the nature of condemnation condemnation is not like a sliding scale kind of issue

It's a condemnation is like a light switch which you turn off and you turn on. Okay, so when you stand before a court of law

You're either gonna get one of two verdicts you're going to get a guilty verdict Or you're not are you gonna get a not guilty verdict?

That's a binary choice, right? That's a binary choice There's one of two choices. You're gonna get guilty or not guilty If you get the guilty verdict you stand condemned before the court of law

So what I'm trying to say is all of us when we enter into the world We enter into the world as death row inmates who stand condemned

Everyone is equally condemned before God That's not to say that everyone commits the same degree of heinous sin before God Some people you know, they excel except a lot more than others.

Okay? Meaning this is a common misunderstanding that that many people have about the nature of total depravity total depravity

Like total in the sense of total depravity is talking about the comprehensiveness of the sin problem

So when we say sin like when I when I say that I'm totally depraved What you should be hearing me to say is that every human faculty in me is affected and corrupted by sin

So there's like my my depravity is total in terms of its extent. Do you understand?

That means my mind my will my emotions my affections. They're all corrupted by sin

Depravity is total in terms of extent but what we're not saying when we talk about the doctrine of total depravity is depravity is total in terms of effect

Like there are some people that God allows To give that there's some people that God gives over to greater sins greater and greater and more sins than others.

You understand? So and there in in in the afterlife There is great indication that there will be greater punishments like hell is not just the same for everyone

So Jesus will say this over and over again It'll be more tolerable for you in the day of judgment than for Sodom and Gomorrah, right?

So there there are different There there's going to be different degrees of punishment based on the nature of our sin

Just like if you're in a court of law, there's greater sentences, right? You understand like some person could be sentenced for one year some could be sentenced for two years

Some could be sentenced for ten years, but all of everyone who's condemned is equally condemned

We come into the world equally condemned all deserving of God's wrath all deserving of hell The cross is a great equalizer and that effect and when we think about the nature of the cross

That should humble us and remove from us You know much of our sin of entitlement and this is really a parable about that in a lot of ways this is a parable about the nature of the cross and the nature of The afterlife so we all stand equally condemned before the cross.

That's the point You also consider the nature. How do we fight this grievous sin of entitlement consider the nature of generosity?

In the parable the workers all agreed upon a rate and the last workers were given the same rate

As the first worker the fact that some workers were paid more Shows that the master was being generous to them because they didn't deserve to be paid more.

That's the point If you work for one hour and someone else works for the same hour

Someone else works for this 12 hours doing the same job. You don't deserve to get paid the same rate of sin

That's the nature of how generosity works. So every time So here's the thing every time you decide to give charity to someone

You are doing so out of the kindness of their heart of your heart a Contrary to the politician quotes that we were given before Generosity really isn't something that's or like this owed

You live in a society that does not understand this and confuses this point at every conceivable point

Like you're trained to think that everyone deserves a college education You're trained to think that everyone deserves like all orphans deserve parents

You're trained to think that everyone deserves free health care You're trained to think that Everyone deserves free cell phones

The Internet is considered a basic right this out. You know, so instead of In the traditional sense we used to think that people had negative rights meaning like I have the right to not be killed by you

We now think of rights in terms of positive rights so you think that you know because Something is helpful.

Everyone needs it. Well, the issue is everyone doesn't deserve a college education. Do they? If you say that everyone deserves a college education

What you're saying is whoever is providing that college education to them is a slave

You're making a demand on them to perform their service. Aren't you? You say that you say that everyone deserves

You say that everyone deserves Basic health care. Well, you know what for most of the history of the world people didn't deserve basic health care.

Did they? When we're talking about what people deserve, we're not we're like people don't deserve generosity

And what in in you're living in a world that tries to police generosity and force at the you know

Coercively use the state's power to force generosity on people. So the nature of generosity is that generosity is not

Owed it's a gift that should be given It's interesting.

We do the food pantry and I since I've been here. I've ever seen I've seen several emails from people

You were complaining about the generosity that they are receiving from us And I I think that's remarkable considering the nature of the way generosity actually works

Consider the cross consider the nature of generosity if you want to fight this grievous sin consider the nature of salvation

So we think about the way that this parable works This is analogy. Okay.

I know that analogies have fallen on hard times among us today but this analogy and the way that analogies work is that you're not supposed to press every detail of the analogy to find a specific one -to -one correspondence

To you know from the thing compared to the thing that's being compared to okay So when you think about the way that analogies work all analogies by definition are imperfect

Because when you're comparing two things right if I'm comparing two things

I'm typically those two things are not exactly identical if they were exactly identical

I wouldn't have to use an analogy but when I use an analogy what I'm doing is I'm going to show you the similarities between two things and In what you're supposed to think is well, there's probably differences between them too because it's just an analogy you understand

So the way like when you live in a world that it has is kind of hostile to the use of analogies because we're hostile to the use of reasoning and so what we often do when we encounter analogies is we

Police the analogies by pointing out the differences, but what you're not supposed to do is that I mean what you're supposed to do

When you think about this analogy is not think about the ways in which this situation is not analogous to salvation

You're supposed to think about the ways in which it is. Okay So here's what happens when you don't do that So consider the nature of salvation in the parable

God's grace and his mercy is being compared to a worker who hires laborers

All right, if you're going to treat this analogy in an inappropriate way Then what you're going to conclude then is that God gives grace and mercy to those who work and earn for it

Do you understand? That would be a wrong Interpretation of the analogy that's not the point the point of the analogy is just to tell you about something how salvation works

Do you know that God? saves some people very early in their life

And he saves some people really late in their lives And he gives them the same gift.

He gives them Adoption as sons he they you know the meek will inherit the earth if you're a

Christian You're gonna get the status of the Sun you're gonna inherit the whole thing, right? Whole earth is gonna belong to you because of by virtue of What Jesus Christ did on you did for you?

So here's the thing God will save some people at the first hour He'll save some people at the third hour. He'll save some people at the ninth hour.

He'll save some people at the 11th hour, right? God's mercy Right is differently given to different kinds of people now atheists think that this is the fundamental and moral thing about the nature

Of the Bible and the nature of the gospel and the nature of the good news Atheists will lambast this kind of idea because they understand the entailments and they understand the significance of what we're talking about So meaning you're saying that I could be a child rapist.

I could be a pedophile my whole life I could be a serial killer my whole life And then at the last moment say

I believe in Jesus or something and then God would save me Atheists finds find that to be completely and totally reprehensible

They find that completely disgusting and horrible the thought that God could save a person who's given themselves over to so much sin, but then the issue is

God has saved people just like that hasn't he and is it a matter of justice?

Like if God only saved innocent people he wouldn't save anyone would he Like that's the whole point if God was trying to save innocent people.

The issue is none of us are innocent we're all gonna get mercy, but God shows mercy to some by saving them early on in their life and Sparing them and their family

All the consequences of extended rebellion in the world right and God chooses to save others later

After they live in depravity for much longer periods of time God's mercy and God's generosity is not

It's not the same in that way Understand that's the point so you consider the nature of salvation

This is a metaphor that we're supposed to use to think about the nature of grace to think about the nature of justice

So in the parable all these workers are working But you would be wrong to think they're working for their salvation and some work longer than others have worked for the salvation

That would be an inappropriate use of the analogy what you're supposed to do is you think about the nature of God's grace God has given some people more grace than others

And I know that we don't often think about that, but it's true God has given some people more grace than others and God has given different gifts to different people hasn't he?

so God tells you very intentionally that To one man he gives ten talents and to another man

He gives five talents and to another man. He gives one talent, and he expects you to do whatever

That the best that you can do with the talents the resources and abilities that he's given you God saved some people early and He shows grace to some people early

And he shows grace to some people later Everything that you do every work that you do so God has prepared good works for us to walk in before the foundation of world

You know that in this room We God has prepared an unequal amount of works that we're going to walk in from before the foundation of the world

Like every one of us in this room has not God has not prepared the same amount of works That are going to have the same kind of results

So I mean just think about that think about that Some men God's given ten talents some men

God's given five talents some men God's given one talents The nature of salvation is everyone needs grace everyone who is saved gets the same status.

They're adopted into God's family as sons They get the same mercy they get complete and total forgiveness

They get an alien righteousness attributed to them through their account as a free gift

So they get him the imputed righteousness of Christ when they when God sees you he sees not

Your record of wrongdoings he sees Christ righteousness given to you as a free gift That's the way that salvation actually works, but God gives different men be different talents different abilities different resources

You know what that's going to work itself out into the world that means that some men are going to be richer than you and some men are going to be poorer than you and Some men are going to be more filled with good works than you and that's no excuse just to passively say hey

I can't help how many good works. I did because God needs if he wants me to work it works He better give me more grace. That's not the point the point is just to say that God's mercy and God's grace

They're unequal and if you thought about that And if you looked at the world that you live in thinking about the way that God's grace actually works you'll realize that God's given men different abilities and give different talents, and he's made men for different jobs and and Made them for different purposes

You know what he hasn't made everyone to be brains college education may not be the thing for everyone But but but you've been trained to think that if you can't go through life get a nice.

You know white -collar job then some Lack of fairness has been done to you right.

That's what you're trained to think we think that everyone must be a CEO No one must be a janitor. You know

Because everyone because because we think that everything has to be fair And then we're being told constantly that if things are different Then there must be something wrong and that must be evidence of oppression

But the reality is the nature of salvation refused that point the nature of God's grace refused that point

So how do we fight this greedy sin? Consent consider the cross consider the nature of generosity consider the nature of salvation and consider

The nature of entitlement you know entitlements never satisfied Like there's no end to envy if you're filled with envy you're gonna look at your neighbor

And you're gonna see what he has and you're gonna demand Almost as a moral obligation that you get the same thing that they have and you're gonna be totally discontent until you have it

Envy there's no end to envy brothers and sisters There's no way to fix envy apart from a humble acknowledgment of it as a sin entitlement to grievous sin

Spits in the face of God the giver of good gifts Who's given his grace and mercy unequally among the sons of men

I pray for us as a church that we're not filled with this sin of entitlement that God would help us to identify the areas of entitlement that are left in our heart and help us to Speak clearly to others about the nature of this problem.

Amen Let's pray Lord we thank you for the opportunity we have to look at Scriptures we know that if you were to count iniquities none of us could stand

It's humbling to come before you and to realize that like the death row inmate

We stand equally condemned before you if you didn't come to send Jesus to die on the cross for us

Lord We we would have no hope. There's nothing we can do. I pray that you help us to see this

I pray that you help us to to be filled with Thanksgiving for all the blessings that you've shown to us

Remembering that everything we have is a gift given from you that we do not deserve and do not earn