Grace Over Merit: The Surprising Kingdom of God

"Now as we consider this parable, it is obviously quite essential that we should remind ourselves of the circumstances in which our Lord ever came to speak the parable. You will find generally that there is some reason which has led our Lord to utter a parable. He always does so to enforce some particular point or principle of teaching." [00:01:26]

"Now this kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven about which I'm speaking to you and which you've noticed is the very center and nerve of all my preaching and my teaching, you know what characterizes that kingdom is this and then he speaks his Parable." [00:04:50]

"The danger with a parable is that people try to find points and meaning and suggest Christians in every phrase and everything that's said. That's to turn a parable into an allegory and is to do violence to it. Parables are meant to bring out one big p and that is true of this Parable." [00:05:23]

"It tells us exactly what it was meant to tell the disciples in particular it it what it was meant to say to everybody else who was listening on this occasion with the disciples. What is it? Well, that there is a terrible danger of our completely misunderstanding the nature of the kingdom of God." [00:09:35]

"The gospel is something which is always surprising and unexpected. Now that's the thing that comes out here everywhere, isn't it? Look at this Rich Young Ruler, he's been watching our Lord before. Do you see we come to his incident, the previous incident is one which tells us that they brought unto him little children." [00:12:33]

"If you've never known what it is to be surprised and amazed at the gospel, well, you've never heard the gospel. You don't know what it is. You see, when the gospel is presented as it was here by the Son of God, even the disciples are filled with amazement." [00:15:47]

"One, it regards salvation as a reward for merit. Its view of Salvation is that it's something that we earn and receive as the result of what we do, isn't it? Here everywhere, Rich Young Ruler, all these have I kept from my youth up, anything more, tell me what it is I'm ready to do it." [00:25:17]

"These characteristics always go together. The people who think they make themselves Christians are always people who are ready to criticize God and his ways. You see, we are told about this first group of laborers that they murmured when they received it, they murmured against the Good Men of the house." [00:28:29]

"God's ways are always just to the Christian. He's just in his condemnation. You say I don't believe in hell, don't you? That's because you don't understand what Justice Means. That's because you've gone back on your own contract. That's because you don't carry out what you said at the beginning like these men in the parable." [00:50:10]

"The generosity of God, the grace of God, the mercy, The Compassion, the love, look at it, it's everywhere in the parable. Look at this man going out at the 11th hour. He knew that a man couldn't do much work in an hour, he knew they wouldn't be worth anything, but he went out and sought them." [00:52:41]

"Throw away your ledgers and your books, stop keeping accounts, stop noting and totaling up your good deeds and your good works and your moralities, throw them away once and forever, stop making Bargains with God, submit yourself to him utterly and entirely if you've heard his call tonight." [00:58:00]

"Leave everything in his hands and you will find that he will deal with you as our Lord depicts it in the parable. You'll have the surprise of your life, he'll shower his blessing upon you and you'll know yourself to be a child of God and an heir of everlasting bless." [00:59:41]