FIELD WORKERS! (7 OF 9)
Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16
This content is part of a series.
Field Workers! (7 of 9)
Dennis Marquardt
Series: The "Parables"
Matthew 20:1-16
INTRO: When most people (including many Christians) hear the expression - "The Kingdom Of God" they think of the following things:
1. Heaven with clouds and angels with harps; angelic choirs singing.
2. Some kind of mystical place.
3. A place after death where most hope (and plan!) to go.
However when they think of the church - they think of a place to rest once a week and get away from it all.
For many church is:
1. A list of do's and don'ts.
2. Doctrines, singing, prayers and other worshipful things.
3. An unnecessary part of the week to many people.
4. Place to fellowship with other people.
Somehow the kingdom of God and the church are not always connected in people's minds. Sometimes it gets confused with the culture of our society; but it is far more than this!
ILLUS: Thus it was from the beginning and so it is today. Yet the early Christians had one great advantage over us; then it was clear that the surrounding culture was groping in the darkness of paganism, and thus it was clear that the culture should have no hand in defining the role of God's people in the world. But today we have grown accustomed to thinking of ourselves as a part of the "Christian West," living in a "Christian nation." That habit is hard to kick, for it has the narcotic effect of easing the painful reality of the stark contrast between twentieth-century American culture and the calling of Christ to His Church.
Yet we must kick that habit if by serving heaven we are to be any earthly good. Our challenge is clear: We must reject the illusions, seductions, and false alternatives of the current political scene and reassert the ageless truth that Christ is Lord of lords, King of kings. With Athanasius, the great fourth-century champion of the faith, we must stand for Christ against the world. In the very moment of our clearest opposition to the world, we will find that as ...
Dennis Marquardt
Series: The "Parables"
Matthew 20:1-16
INTRO: When most people (including many Christians) hear the expression - "The Kingdom Of God" they think of the following things:
1. Heaven with clouds and angels with harps; angelic choirs singing.
2. Some kind of mystical place.
3. A place after death where most hope (and plan!) to go.
However when they think of the church - they think of a place to rest once a week and get away from it all.
For many church is:
1. A list of do's and don'ts.
2. Doctrines, singing, prayers and other worshipful things.
3. An unnecessary part of the week to many people.
4. Place to fellowship with other people.
Somehow the kingdom of God and the church are not always connected in people's minds. Sometimes it gets confused with the culture of our society; but it is far more than this!
ILLUS: Thus it was from the beginning and so it is today. Yet the early Christians had one great advantage over us; then it was clear that the surrounding culture was groping in the darkness of paganism, and thus it was clear that the culture should have no hand in defining the role of God's people in the world. But today we have grown accustomed to thinking of ourselves as a part of the "Christian West," living in a "Christian nation." That habit is hard to kick, for it has the narcotic effect of easing the painful reality of the stark contrast between twentieth-century American culture and the calling of Christ to His Church.
Yet we must kick that habit if by serving heaven we are to be any earthly good. Our challenge is clear: We must reject the illusions, seductions, and false alternatives of the current political scene and reassert the ageless truth that Christ is Lord of lords, King of kings. With Athanasius, the great fourth-century champion of the faith, we must stand for Christ against the world. In the very moment of our clearest opposition to the world, we will find that as ...
There are 17388 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
