Dig Deeper
At one time or another we’ve all attempted to
negotiate with God, “God if You ______, I promise I will _______!” I imagine
most of us have also sought to appeal to God on the basis of our “spiritual résumé”,
“God, consider how I’ve faithfully _________, especially compared to
__________. Surely You will __________.” In His parable, The Workers in the Vineyard, Jesus uses the relationship between a
generous landowner and day laborers to illustrate how we ought to approach God.
Read the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16. What do you observe
about the following parables in this parable?
Landowner--
Workers recruited in the early morning--
Workers recruited at 9:00 AM (third hour), Noon (sixth
hour), & 3:00 PM (Ninth hour)--
Workers recruited at 5:00 PM (eleventh hour)--
Read Acts 8:18-25. A man known as “Simon the Sorcerer”
sought to negotiate with the apostles for the power to perform spiritual works.
How did the apostle Peter respond to him? What does this reveal about the folly
of attempting to negotiate with God?
Read Philippians 3:4-9. In Philippians 3:4-6 the
apostle Paul lists his “spiritual résumé” prior to his conversion to Christ.
What did he ultimately conclude about appealing to God on the basis of one’s
own merit?
Read Jesus’ Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax
Collector in Luke 18:9-14. How is the approach of the tax collector and appeal
based on God’s goodness?
Application
The third verse of the hymn Rock of Ages reads, “Nothing
in my hand I bring, Simply to the cross I cling… Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let
me hide myself in Thee.” The phrase “cleft of the rock” comes from Exodus
33:22, “So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the
cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.” (NKVJ) How
ought understanding Christ as your Rock affect your approach to God?
Memorize This
Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with
God all things are possible.” NIV
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