Jesus Teaching About Rewards & Servanthood

One of the greatest baseball players ever played the game was Ted Williams. Ted Williams had a career batting average of 344, unheard of. It was the last player to hit over 400 for some of you who don't even know what that means. Sorry ladies, but last player ever to bat over 400 in a season. That was in 1941. He was just an amazing player in many respects of the game. One season, however, his batting average dipped below 300. He went into the management in the offseason, went into the management of the Boston Red Sox, the team he played for, and told them he was taking a $35,000 pay cut. That day when he played, that was huge. That was about half his salary. And he told him he was going to take a pay cut because his average had slipped the year before. That is absolutely unheard of today, isn't it? I mean, there are players today who make $35,000 a day and have never hit over 300. It's just unheard of. Our American way of life and our American psyche is geared toward getting as much as we can get, making as much as we can make, being very aware of what other people are making, and feeling cheated or feeling treated unfair if we don't measure up comparably to other's income levels. That's just the way we think in our culture. The fact that we think that way makes it very difficult for us to understand and appreciate the parable we've been looking at in Matthew 20. It makes it almost impossible for us to identify. In fact, we typically identify with the wrong people in the parable, sympathize with the wrong people, and miss the whole point of Jesus parable. Matthew 20 is where we're starting tonight in the life of Christ. Jesus is teaching about rewards, and we started into this parable last week. We'll pick it up where we left off in verse 8. But let me remind you of some of the context here. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. He is nearing the city. I mean, he's not like a mile outside the city, but within a couple of weeks, he's going to be in Jerusalem maybe sooner than that. He's been in the past few weeks, within the last couple of weeks of his life. As he makes his way to Jerusalem, a number of things are happening. One of which was a rich young man in a position of authority, often referred to as the rich young ruler, comes to Jesus, throws himself at Jesus' speed, asks what he may do to inherit eternal life. And you remember how Jesus masterfully used the law to show him he needed to first of all recognize he was a sinner and he didn't and his sin was his possessions had become his idol, his God. And so he had broken the first commandment. She'll have no other gods before me. He'd broken the last commandment. You should not covet. So God Jesus used the commandments to show him that he was a sinner. And that's what the law is supposed to do. The law is intended to show us that we're simple. We cannot measure up to the standard. Jesus told him there's only one good and that's God. You can't do any good thing to get yourself into heaven. So Jesus is just dealt with that young man who is captivated by his possessions and he turns away and leaves because of his his covetousness and he is not willing to give up his God, his God of his possessions. Peter, you remember asked the question in Matthew 19. Lord, we left all to follow you. We forsaken everything. What will there be for us? And it is that question that generates several statements Jesus makes and then the parable that we're looking at now. First of all, Jesus says, Peter, don't worry. You'll get your reward when I come in my glory at the regeneration of all things when the earth is made new. And I sit on my throne in a kingdom on this earth. You'll reign the 12 disciples will reign over the 12 tribes of Israel. You'll be rewarded. Don't worry about that. And then he says anyone who gives up anything for me will be rewarded. But then Jesus closed chapter 19 with this very gentle but specific rebuke. Do you remember what it was there? Chapter 19 verse 30. But many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first. And what Jesus is saying there is Peter God doesn't reckon things like you reckon things. God doesn't count like you count. God doesn't see like you see about what you give up, what you sacrifice, what your rewards are going to be. God doesn't measure things the same way you do. And he launches right into this parable about the landowner. Just to remind you we covered the first seven verses to remind you that the landowner basically is a guy who goes out to get day laborers for his vineyards. People that would gather in the city gates, what we would think of as the city square, the place of commerce in town and offer their services to work by the day. And they would be paid at the end of each day. Whoever needed help would go in and recruit people to go out and work in their fields. So this is what this guy's doing. He goes in and recruits some people to work and he's feel that six o'clock in the morning. He goes again at nine and gets some others. He goes again at 12 and gets some others goes again at three. And then the last time he goes into town because he wants to wrap things up that day and he needs one extra push to get it done is he recruits some people to go out and work and he's feel that five o'clock. Now the days work in Israel and that culture would end at about six o'clock. So there were people who worked 12 hours. There were people who worked one hour. It comes time for them to be paid. By the way, you may remember that those who were recruited early in the morning agreed with the landowner to work for a denarius, which was a fair wage for a day. It was a typical days wage in Israel for that time. They agreed to do that. The others at Jesus sent out verse four, I believe it is. Yeah, tells us that Jesus sent them out and said, I'll pay you whatever's right. So the first people that went out went out under a contract, which they agreed to and and he agreed to and the fact that verse two actually says he agreed to pay them that means they probably had negotiated that. That contract they're the ones that asked for okay, we'll go work for you, but we want X amount or you willing to pay that. Oh, yeah, I'll pay that. Sign the contract contract. Contract signs done. Everybody else who goes out, they just go out trusting the landowner to pay what is right. That's a very key important part of the of the story. So comes time to pay verse eight. That's where we pick up. 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. So okay, you get the scene. They're all lining up to get paid, but the guys who went out in the field at five o'clock are in the front of the line. They're going to get paid first. Now look at what happens. Verse nine, the workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. Oh, wait a second. The guys who went out at six o'clock in the morning went out under a contract for a denarius. The guy who came comes in at five o'clock and works for an hour when he's getting paid, he gets paid a denarius. Oh, okay. Verse 10. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. I can't you just see. Can't you just see this. This scene in the in the line, the guys who have gone in at five o'clock in front of the line, they come back and they're showing what they got paid. Look, I got paid a denarius for an hour's work and the guys who are in the back of the line who came in at six o'clock in the morning, can you imagine what they're talking about. They worked one hour. God, I'm nervous. We worked 12 hours. Whoa. You reckon we're going to get paid 12 denarius. You think we'll get. Wow. I can't wait to get my paycheck. So what happens? Verse 10. But each of them also received a denarius. Now that doesn't seem fair. Verse 11. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. Like every one of us in this room would have grumbled. Okay, probably. Now some of you are thinking, no, no, no, I know the story. I wouldn't have grumbled. I'm more spiritual than that. Come on. If you hadn't read the story, if you were there in that situation, you'd be right at the front of the line with the grumblers. Human nature. Simple human nature. Verse 12. Here's what their grumbling consists of. 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. You see the spirit of comparison there? Not only did we do more work, but we worked harder. We worked during the heat of the day. We sweat all day long. And you paid them the same you paid us. That doesn't seem fair. And most of us would be thinking exactly the same thing. They worked one hour into the day. We worked 12 hours through the heat of the day. And we get the same pay. Now here's what the landowner says. Verse 13. But he answered one of them, I am not being unfair to you, friend. The word friend shows that there is no animosity, no antagonism on the part of the landowner. There is no dig here at any of these workers saying, I'm going to get even with you. No. He considers them friends. He's being kind. Notice his next question. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Remember you proposed the contract. I agreed, verse two, with your proposal. So I'm not being unfair. I'm not being unjust. I'm paying you exactly what we agreed upon. Verse 14. Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. And what he's saying is I want to be generous. The implication is, if you had not pushed me to sign a contract, I would have been generous to you too. Remember the others who went out were willing to trust the landowner to pay whatever was right. They didn't sign a contract. There was no agreement. Whatever's right, we trust you to do what's right. The implication is, you push me to a contract. I'll honor the contract. I would have loved to have been more generous to you, but I'm going to do exactly what you asked. And his generous heart is seen in what he gave the others who had worked less time. Now notice in verse 15, the two questions. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? That's a very important question. Who's money is being distributed? The landowners, right? If he wants to be generous to somebody, that's okay. It's his money. He can do that. Nobody has a claim on his money. If he wants to be generous, he paid what was fair to those who signed the contract. There was no injustice. He was fair with what he had signed. If he wants to be generous with his own money, that's his prerogative. The last question, or are you envious because I am generous? The word envious is a word which literally means miserly or actually to see what others are getting. That kind of eye that is looking for what others are getting and comparing. Are you envious? Are you miserly? Are you so money-hungry that you're going to start this comparison game? Or do I have a right to do what I want to with my own money? If I want to be generous, that's my call. Then notice, verse 16, Jesus repeats the same thing he had said to Peter back in verse 30, which shows us this parable's tied to what he had told Peter. So the last will be first and the first will be last. Okay, now, what is Jesus teaching through this? We're going to get into some lessons in just a moment. But first of all, I want your impressions. What do you think Jesus is teaching through this parable? What is he saying to Peter? Because it's clear he's addressing this to the disciples based on what Peter had asked. We've sacrificed everything for you. What is there for us? Okay, what is Jesus doing? Okay, that if we're working in his field, we should focus on Jesus rather than those around us. Okay, great. To be thankful for whatever we get. Okay. Okay, that's there's another side of the story is those who waited till five o'clock. They were still waiting for somebody to hire them. They were patient through the day until someone hired them. Okay, grace is better than a contract. Hang on, hang on to that thought. All of your thoughts are excellent. Hang on to that one. God will provide always what we've needed is that what we need. Okay, yes, certainly true. God is not unfair unjust with anyone. Is there a scripture that I can't believe that it is? That's amazing for someone as young as you, Walt. That's fine. That's fine. Okay, no matter how long we've been saved, we'll still receive a reward. And the flip side of that is no matter how short a period of time we've been saved, we will receive a reward. Hang on to that both of those together. There is something to be said for that comparison and contrast there. Walt, did you get it? Okay. Okay. Okay. Be careful about making contracts with God, making bargains with God because you may find that you thought you were making a pretty good bargain. You wanted to be much more gracious to you than what you'd bargain for. Yes, Jeannie. It's the decision of the master what we receive. The landowner said, it's my money, right? It's my money. I want to give him to decide what we receive. There's a very key truth there. And that is, and that applies to a lot of different things in life. It applies to spiritual gifts. It applies to ministry opportunities. It applies to whether or not we will ever be seen or recognized for what we do. It applies to the master. All of that is up to him. Okay. Yes. Never too late to come to Jesus. Okay. I want to piggyback on that one in a minute too. Boy, you're just hitting everything I've thought of. And then much more. That's great. It's not the same thing here. Yeah. Yes. Right. Our concept of fairness is completely different from God's. And I'm not even sure we should say God even has a concept of fairness. He has a concept of justice for sure. But you're exactly right, Jean, that our idea of fairness sometimes clouds our vision of God's grace. And we're thinking in terms of what we should get for what we've done. And God's grace is so much bigger than that. Yeah. Okay. Great, great thoughts. Yes. Yes. Yeah. It is very similar in the main concept of the story to the prodigal son. Very similar. And so this is addressed. Well, there's a lot. There's a lot in that. This is addressed to the disciples, but it's also addressed to the Pharisees like the prodigal son was, but it is more than that addressed to the fairsacal tendencies in the disciples. And fairsacal tendencies in us because if you just read the story on a purely human level, we naturally would have a tendency to sympathize with the older brother in the story, the prodigal son. He's right. This guy ran and wasted the inheritance. What is what right is he have to come back and get a banquet? I mean, I've stayed here and worked the whole time. I mean, typically, we know the story so well and we know it's meaning that we don't now tend to sympathize that way. But if we read it for the first time, we'd be shaking our heads and you know, you got a point there, older brother. And same thing with this story, we sympathize with the guys who worked all day, 12 hours in the heat of the day. It's not fair. Tommy? Yeah. Yeah. When we put things purely on a mercenary level, we're losing the blessing of serving in God's vineyard, aren't we? And what that really means? Well, I'm walking his hand up and so did Max. Max, go ahead. A very good application of this story. God rewards us according to how faithful we've been to exercise whatever gifts he's given us or opportunities he's given us, not whether in man's eyes, they match up, you know, magnitude wise or bigger or better or flashier or show where it's a great point. And even how long? You know, someone who's only been saved for one year, if they have served faithfully, God will reward them graciously. Someone who's been saved 45 years, served faithfully, God will reward them graciously. Here's the point. God is not unfair or unjust to anyone. God is gracious to everyone, which means all of us will receive more than we deserve. All of us will receive more than we deserve. That's, I think, the main point in the story. Okay, well, you had your hand up to. Yeah. Yeah. Good point. What the father said to the older son, everything I have is you are. The only source is just another indication of the grace of our father or heavenly father that he wants to be generous to us. Okay, you've mentioned about everything I wanted to mention, but could I just summarize three major applications so you know how to fill out your outline some. Some people come up to me afterwards a couple of Sundays ago, I forgot the conclusion in the bulletin. I had someone come up to me Sunday nights. Come on, I got to get this. I got to fill this word in. So let me give you this one. One lesson from the story is that we must examine our motives. We must examine our motives. I think the parable in in great part is designed to gently rebuke Peter's question back in chapter 19 verse 27. Or we've given up everything to follow you. What will be there for us? Now that's where troubling motives start coming in. When we begin to think about all the sacrifice that has been made and for most of us there's very little sacrifice of any kind made for the cause of Christ. When I think about the pastor, we talked about a couple of weeks ago, Gasson Thomas and what he has gone through in Iraq and Turkey. We don't know anything about sacrifice. But whatever we do sacrifice, to whatever degree, we have to be careful not to have the attitude. What's my reward for this? What do I get out of this? You know what that is? That's bargaining with God. That's putting him under contract. Okay, God, I've given up this much. Now you owe me. That's really what we're saying. We're putting him under contract. And you know, God sometimes will condescend to that and say, okay, I'll give you what you want. And we miss out, as some of you said, miss out on the greater blessing of his grace. So we have to be careful about our motives. We should never serve because of what we're going to get out of it. We should never do anything for the Lord because of what's going to come back to us as a result of that. And it's not just in the realm of money. It's in the realm of will people notice? Will people say something nice about me? Will people recognize what I've done? It's all of that. If that's the reason why we do it, then remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew chapter 6. You pray on the street corners to be seen of men. You've got your reward. You got what you wanted. That's all you're going to get. You would not get the grace demonstrated to you that would have been yours if you hadn't the right motives. So we must examine our motives. I think that's part of the lesson. The second lesson, we must avoid comparing ourselves with others and you brought that out so well. We have to be careful about looking at others and measuring ourselves by them. The workers in the parable are guilty of doing this, aren't they? We worked 12 hours. These guys worked one hour. We did the hard labor. They didn't. We worked through the heat of the day. They didn't. There's this spirit of comparison here. So whenever we have a spirit of comparison, we're way off from what God's heart is and God's grace is. But we have a tendency to do the same thing. We really do. We have a tendency. I think some of you mentioned this to become suspicious or condescending to those who come along later. Or to those who may not in our estimation be doing as much or be a spiritual or be giving as much or sacrificing as much as what we did. We become guilty of the same spirit. And it's very easy for us to say, well, I've been saved longer than this person. Or I've been in the church longer. Or I've been serving longer than that person. We have our smug little smile and our nose up in the air. Give the attitude that you'll find out. You'll find out. Just give your time and you'll find out. God hates that. God simply hates that kind of attitude. That is so foreign to the grace of God. And that kind of comparison with one another. God can use someone brand new to teach me lessons brand new to the faith brand new to the church brand new to a ministry. Someone who comes in at five o'clock can teach some of the six o'clock in the morning people some lessons. Let's be careful not to not to use standards of comparison that discount the grace of God. And that's my third lesson. We must understand that God acts in grace. You touched on this one as well. Certainly true in salvation. We have a tendency to think of salvation based on merit. You say no, no, wait a second. I know that salvation is by grace through faith through trusting Jesus Christ. Okay. All right. Is there ever any thought in your mind that someone who gets saved on their deathbed kind of cheated God? You know, spent their whole life living for themselves and you mean they're going to get into heaven just like me. I've been saved 70 years. I think it's spiritual things. He's using a parable about material things to get to drive home a spiritual lesson. That's the big piece of me. Yeah. Yeah. Because basically he's he's answering Peter's statement. What's in it for us? And Jesus is saying, okay, Peter, watch it. Watch it here. You'll get rewarded. He says, don't worry about that. I'll take care of that. You can trust me to do what's right as the landowner. But you better be careful about your spirit. You're attitude because God's judgment is like not like man's the first will be last and last will be first. And so this parable, although it's dealing with paychecks and money and that kind of thing, material things, it's really designed to drive home a spiritual lesson. And that is that the landowner who represents God can be trusted to do what is right. And we better not bargain with him. Certainly when it comes to salvation, the person who gets saved on their deathbed, and the child who got saved at age five or six and lived for the Lord for 80 years are both going to heaven. Why is that? Because heaven is not a reward for anything we do anyway, right? It's not a reward for longevity. Salvation is by grace. And if it is by grace, it means it's totally a gift of God. And none of us deserve it. Doesn't matter how long you were in the faith, you still don't deserve it. If you lived for Christ for 85 years, you still don't deserve to go to heaven. Because you're in heaven by God's grace, just like the person who got saved on their deathbed. In other words, none of us get what we deserve when it comes to heaven. We are all given much more, much more by God's grace than we could ever, ever deserve. I think that's an important lesson here, but the same is also true of serving Christ. And that's really what Peter was talking about. Lord, we've given up so much. Is there anything coming our way? And Jesus is careful to check that attitude. Don't serve me for what you think you're going to get. Serve me faithfully if it's for 12 hours, if it's for 70 years, or if it's only for one hour, one year. Trust God to do what's right about the rewards. Just leave that up to him. We don't need to worry about it. It's not like, okay, I've 70 years. I ought to get this much reward. And you were only saved for a year and served him for a year. You'll get this much reward. And God doesn't do things that way. And our American way of thought doesn't like that. And we think that's not fair. It's not salvation. And reward in heaven is not about fairness. It's about God's grace. Now does that mean everybody's going to be rewarded the same as far as rewards in heaven is concerned? No, no, obviously not. But it does mean we can trust God to do what's right. You can trust him to do what's right. And certainly it means we ought to be careful about bargaining with God. Okay, it's one of the most stunning parables that Jesus ever told. It has a lot of great lessons to it. You've you've mined it, I think, for a lot of great spiritual truths. Thank you. Any other comments before we move on to the next event in our Lord's life? Yeah. Yeah. Sure, sure is, Bob. It is a smack in our face when we we have a tendency to look at those things and not rejoice, maybe deep in our spirit because we think, you know, I've been saved a lot longer than they have. That's not the point. The point is God saves anybody by his grace and we ought to rejoice. Whoever it is, whatever background they've come from, however late they may have waited, that's not the issue. The issue is God rescued the by his grace and we ought to rejoice in that. That's a great point. Yeah, that's a great story. Yeah. I think the president was Teddy Roosevelt who got off the same boat as the missionary and there's banned their degree, him and everybody welcoming him. And as you said, Tommy and nobody agreed to missionary and took the general reminder of a wife, a godly wife to remind him, hey, you know, he came home got this big welcome. You came home got nothing, but don't forget you're not home yet. That's a great, great point. Yeah. Okay. All right. Let's move on. Yes, Jean. It's not fair. It's not fair. Yeah. Well, I trust the Holy Spirit has opened our hearts and minds to what he wanted us to get from this. And if that's the case, then that's a good thing. All right. The next story is Jesus teaching about servanthood. And it's found in three gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke, the three synoptic gospels. One's that see much of the life of Christ the same way record the same events. We're going to look at marks gospel for this account. That's the reason why I have it underlined in your notes. So let's let's turn over to Mark chapter 10. What Jesus is going to do here is engage his disciples in conversation. Actually, they bring it up. They begin the conversation. And Jesus uses what happens a request on the part of two of his disciples to drive home some lessons about servant to it. But Jesus himself is the perfect example of servanthood early in the story before the disciples even ask a question. So in Mark chapter 10 will begin in verse 32. They were on their way up to Jerusalem with Jesus leading the way. I want you to get this picture in your mind with Jesus leading the way. And the disciples were astonished while those who followed were afraid. Okay. Now here you've got to you got to grasp the setting here. Don't just slide over those words and get to the good stuff. Okay. This is the good stuff. Jesus is demonstrating the determination of servanthood. Okay. He is going to Jerusalem. Now the disciples do not grasp yet what's going to happen in Jerusalem. Does Jesus know what's going to happen in Jerusalem? Sure he does. In fact, he's going to remind the disciples in just a verse or two. Exactly step by step. What's going to happen? He knows exactly what's going to happen. But will you get this picture? He is striding ahead of his disciples on the way to Jerusalem. Did you see that? He's leading the way. The disciples, the Bible says are astonished. And those who followed maybe other followers who are just kind of tagging along maybe other true followers disciples, but not of the 12. They are afraid. Okay. Now I think the disciples are astonished that Jesus seems so resolute on getting to Jerusalem in time for the Passover feast. When remember he left Jerusalem a couple months earlier because the Pharisees were ready to killing after the resurrection of Lazarus especially after he had been away from Jerusalem while came back and raised Lazarus from the dead. Then the Pharisees were looking for any chance they could to killing. The disciples know that they're astonished that he would be so resolute headed for Jerusalem and others who are with them are afraid. They're afraid of what's going to happen. But Jesus is determined. I hope you get in your mind this vivid picture of Jesus marching, resolutely toward Jerusalem. Now he's not there yet. We'll see that he's got a stop in Jericho first which is 17 miles away. But he's making the journey to Jerusalem like every Jewish household would at the time of Passover. He's resolutely determined to get to Jerusalem for the Passover. I love the way Luke says it in Luke chapter 9 verse 51, a little earlier when Jesus left Galilee to start this journey for Jerusalem at the time as a time approached for him to be taken up to heaven. Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. You see the determination there which is a fulfillment of a prophecy of the servant of God in Isaiah 50. There's a whole sequence of prophecies about the servant of God who is the Messiah. Look at this prophecy in Isaiah 50 verse 6. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting because the sovereign Lord helps me. I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint and I know I will not be put to shame. There's that resolute determination. No soldier ever walked into combat with any more courage than this. No fireman ever raced into a burning building with more determination than this. No police officer ever ran into a crisis situation with bullets flying with any more courage than this. I want you to see the courage that Jesus had. The resolute determination, the courage in spite of what he knew was going to happen and he's ahead of his disciples leading the way marching courageously to Jerusalem. Now that's the servant of God but servanthood does not mean man be pamby weak spined. No no. Servanthood includes not weakness but strong determination and leadership when it counts. Jesus is doing with his twelve men. He's leading the way into the face of danger, into the face of certain death. Now before we stop tonight we need to at least see the next couple of verses where Jesus pulls his disciples together and warns them, prepares them for what's going to happen. In the verse 32 again he took the twelve aside. I just see him calling a huddle. Okay come on guys gather around and told them what was going to happen to him. Now he's told them twice before, at least twice before he's explained to them what's going to happen in Jerusalem. This time he gives almost a blow by blow account of what will happen. Listen to these gripping words. We are going up to Jerusalem. He said I can just imagine him looking them squarely in the face his eyes meeting each of theirs as this determined resolute captain of theirs leading them into the face of battle. He's saying here's how it's going to go down guys. Here's what's going to happen. We are going up to Jerusalem and the son of man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death. See it's step by step he's telling them what's going to happen. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him and will be delivered to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. And spit on him. Flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise. I'm glad he didn't stop with the killing part, aren't you? He told him exactly what would happen and as a part of it he will rise on the third day. But the amazing thing is although Jesus has gathered them around and he tells them looking them square in the eye explaining step by step so that they can't miss it. Here's exactly what's going to happen. Step by step Luke's gospel said they did not understand any of it. They didn't understand a bit of it. And that's the very reason and the only reason why what happens next happens. And what happens next is a power play on the part of two of the leading disciples to try to get positions of importance in the kingdom. Now when you realize that comes right on the heels of this meeting right on the heels of this huddle where Jesus has told his men exactly what's going to happen. And it's just like right over their heads they didn't get a bit of it Luke says. And what they're doing is they're playing politics dirty politics at that. We're going to see how James and John tried to run an in run around Peter to get a position of power. It's really dirty. We'll have to wait till next time to look at this because there are times up but this. Jesus is going to use this opportunity to teach what it means to be a servant and it doesn't look anything like the world's idea of politics. I'll guarantee you that. Right let's pray. Father thank you for our time together in the word we marvel at our savior. Our hearts are challenged humbled. Rebuke. Lord our mercenary spirits are wondering what are we going to get out of this for serving you and when we've given up something so minor. We're wondering how you're going to reward us. We make little bargains almost daily with you. Oh God, rebuke us for our mercenary spirit. Help us to joyfully serve you trusting you to do what's right and leaving that totally up to you not angling for position or power reward. Oh God, I pray that we will follow our strong captain into the face of the enemy, into the face of battle wherever you go. Help us to go with you. Teach us lessons from our precious savior. It's in his name we pray. Amen.