The Common Cup
07.14.19 | A Patient King
by Pastor John Rathje
http://traffic.libsyn.com/ulcannarbor/20190714_trimmed.mp3
Text | Matthew 13:24-30
24 He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?'28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?'29 But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"
07.07.19 | An Unfair Kingdom
by Daniel Brummet
http://traffic.libsyn.com/ulcannarbor/Sermon_7-7-19.mp3
Text | Matthew 20:1-16
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,4 and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.'5 So they went.Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,12 saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'13 But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' 16 So the last will be first, and the first last."
06.30.19 | A Growing Kingdom
by Vicar Kevin Dykstra
Text | Mark 4:26-34
26 And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
30 And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
06.23.19 | A Valuable Kingdom
by Pastor Gabe Kasper
44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
06.16.19 | A Kingdom for All
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.4 Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."'5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.'10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.12 And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
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