God and I Don't Always Agree

Why We Argue With God

Matthew 20:1-7

DATE: 11 Feb, 2001 AM              PLACE: BBC Blarney

I.         Introduction (Romans 1:17)

A.      You are in for a surprise this morning. A most unusual sermon!

B.       I’ll be honest with you - God and I don't always agree. We get along fairly well, but we don't always agree.

C.       God and I sometimes have a little controversy with each other.

D.      Follow me carefully, this message will help you understand WHY we spend so much time arguing with God about our lives, and how to repent of that awful attitude so that we can begin to live by faith

II.       Background (Mt 20:1-7)

A.      It’s six o'clock in the morning. A man hires some workers to work in his field.

B.       We find that he needs some more, so he goes out at nine o'clock in the morning to hire some more workers to work in his field.

C.       He goes out again at noon and hires some more workers to work in his field.

D.      He goes out at three o'clock in the afternoon and hires some more workers to work in his field.

E.       He goes out at five o'clock and hires some more workers to work in his field.

F.       All of them work until six o'clock at night.

1.        That means that some people worked twelve hours, and some people worked nine hours, and some people worked six hours, and some people worked three hours, and some people worked one hour.

2.        Now, when pay time came, he gave them all exactly the same amount of money. Those that went to work early in the morning began to complain about it. They said, "This is not fair because we've worked twelve hours. These rascals over here get the same amount of money we get, and they've only worked for one hour. It's not fair."

3.        Now, I'll be honest with you. This parable bothered me. They got the same wages - I don't mean per hour, I mean per day. The fellow that worked one hour got exactly the same amount of money that the fellow got who worked for twelve hours.

G.       What is God trying to teach us, here?

1.        That we do not always agree with Him. I know I don't. I don't naturally agree with God here.

2.        Do YOU think it's fair? Be honest - Do you think it's fair for the fellow who works for twelve hours, all the day long in the hot sun and the heat of the day, and he gets the same wage as the fellow who works from five until six in the evening?

3.        I don't believe that, but God does. It doesn't make sense. I just don't agree with God on this parable. I cannot see that it's right for a man who works twelve hours to be paid the same as a man who works one hour.

4.        By the way, that's what faith is. Faith is believing and trusting that God is right, even when we disagree. Don't miss this now.

a.       You and I don't think like God. You say, "It doesn't make sense to me." But, it so happens that you and I are flesh.

b.       I'm convinced that one of the reasons that God put this parable here is to let us know that we don't always see things just eye to eye. I cannot always see the sense and logic, but I’ve come to know it's right.

5.        You say it's right to give a fellow the same wages for 1 hour’s work as you give the fellow that worked twelve hours? Yeah, right!

6.        You say, "Do YOU believe it's right?" No, I don't believe it's right - but I believe it's right…, because I trust God's judgment and wisdom much more than mine own. It doesn't automatically make sense to me, but thankfully, it doesn't have to make sense to me.

III.     Message - God and I Don't Always Agree (Matthew 20:1-7)

A.      The Definition of Faith

1.        Our Definition

a.       Let me give you our definition of faith.

1)       This is what faith is to you: "I have confidence to believe that He will do it like I think it should be done."

2)       When you say, "I have lost my faith in God." It means He finally did something the way you didn't think it ought to be done. Now, that's not faith at all. You didn't have faith in Him to begin with.

b.       Examples

1)       These men worked for their boss, and then He turns around and does something they didn’t expect. They started to argue and complain – do any of US complain, ever? Huh! Notice Mt 20:4

2)       How about John Mark? (Act 13:4,5,13) He was all excited about serving God until the times got rough; very rough!

3)       What about Thomas? (John 11:15,16) – HUH?

4)       Are you telling me they were people of great faith? I am saying, they had NO faith at all – only followed because they had not found anything better yet!

5)       You experience it all the time:

a)       Your mate fails to meet your expectations – lose faith in them. Shouldn’t have had faith in them to begin with!

b)       Your car begins to act up – lose faith in FORD. Shouldn’t have had faith in FORD to begin with!

c)       You computer crashes, and crashes, and crashes – lose faith completely. Shouldn’t have even tried to have faith in IBM or Apple to begin with!

d)       Don’t you realise, we have transferred our experience with cursed things in this life, to our confidence in God?

e)       That’s why so many doubt their salvation, God’s will, and doubt God’s work in their lives… THEY ONLY TRUST WHEN THINGS GO LIKE WE THINK THEY SHOULD.

c.       How about some more examples – the Bible is full of these:

1)       The children of Israel (Ps 78:8) always complained because they never set their heart “aright” and made it steadfast - confident

2)       The disciples on the sinking ship, in the storm (Mk 4:36-40)

3)       What about young David, before he became king?

a)       He had killed a bear, a lion, and even Goliath

b)       But when he was anointed KING of Israel, he had to flee for his life for 7 long years from king Saul until Saul died.

c)       And you better believe he got discouraged (1 Samuel 27:1)

d)       Things were not going as planned – so his faith was gone. NO! He didn’t lose faith. He never had it. Not yet. Oh yes, he was saved. He was a believer in God, but He was like the APOSTLES in the sinking ship –had no practical faith at all.

2.        God’s Definition for Us

a.       Short and sweet - I just trust God

b.       I could make it a little longer -  I trust God enough to follow His word (obey it), and do things His way – full stop.

c.       Some examples

1)       The Apostle Paul (Philp 4:11; Rom 8:38,39) could trust God

2)       The Canaanite woman (Mt 15:21-28) – “You won’t do wrong!”

3)       Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo – God CAN deliver us out of your hand Neb, but if He doesn’t, we trust Him anyway!

4)       Job (Job 13:15; 23:10) – just trusted God that he will do right

d.       You may ask, “How do you get to that place?” To have real faith

1)       Rom 10:17 saturation in the study of lives presented in this Book

2)       Allow God to perfect your faith THROUGH trials (Jam 1:2-4)

3)       Stop trying to use your faith on things that by nature are unfaithful, and solely rest it on Jesus – only HE never fails!

B.       Application of Faith (1John 3:20-22)

1.        When you and God don’t agree – faith means to trust, to KNOW that God is doing right - not WILL do right (future tense), but IS, present tense!

2.        When timing and events are not coming together right (Eccl 3:10), faith allows you to wait, and work, and then wait some more, because you know that your labour is never in vain when done for the Lord (Gal 6:9)

IV.    Conclusion

A.      Do you argue with God a lot? Be honest.

B.       Today is a great day to bury the hatchet, and start trusting God will do right

C.       He won’t let you down – it’s not in His nature – He can’t fail you!