{"id":115,"date":"2008-09-27T15:41:32","date_gmt":"2008-09-27T15:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/wordpress\/?p=115"},"modified":"2008-09-27T15:41:32","modified_gmt":"2008-09-27T15:41:32","slug":"sermon-sunday-september-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/?p=115","title":{"rendered":"SERMON &#8211; Sunday, September 21"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Matt 20:15 &#8220;Do you begrudge my generosity?.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">What extraordinary readings this morning!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The Gospel from (Matthew 20) seems a highly impractical story of labourers all getting paid the same &#8211; no matter how many hours they work.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In the Epistle (Philippians 1) Saint Paul is in prison &#8211; and isn&#8217;t quite sure if the best way to glorify God is by martyrdom in Rome or going to the church at Philip. I know which one I would choose!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">And the first reading (Jonah 4) &#8211; what&#8217;s that all about?<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">All of us know the story of Jonah and the whale, but not this less familiar part of the story that follows.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">You remember that Jonah was reluctant to go to Niniveh and preach to the Assyrians.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>This was for two reasons:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0in;\" type=\"disc\">\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in left 153.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">You can imagine the reception a Jewish prophet would get telling Assyrians they were terrible sinners, and that if they didn&#8217;t repent his God, Yahweh, was going to destroy their city!<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in left 153.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">As a good Jew he probably didn&#8217;t believe their city should be saved anyway.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">You know the story\u2026 God commanded him to go to Niniveh &#8211; and he ran away to sea.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>But a storm came (sent by God, of course) he was thrown into the sea and swallowed by a whale (also sent by God!) after three days he was thrown up on the shore, and immediately went to Niniveh to do what God wanted. They did repent, and their city was saved.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">That&#8217;s where today&#8217;s reading takes up the story.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Now most prophets would be pleased about that.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>But not Jonah!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">No &#8211; he doesn&#8217;t think the Assyrians deserve their city to be saved.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>They are not God&#8217;s chosen people &#8211; why should <strong style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">He<\/strong> care about <strong style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">them<\/strong>?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">You see Jonah was mean. And because he didn&#8217;t get what he really wanted he went off and sulked &#8211; hoping that Niniveh would be destroyed.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>God was not impressed!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">My Gospel text surely applies to Jonah: <em style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">&#8220;Do you begrudge my generosity?&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The God who demands repentance also demands charitableness.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>To teach this lesson to Jonah, God causes a castor oil plant to grow and shelter him from the extreme heat.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Jonah is not so bitter now!<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>But the next morning a worm eats the plant and it dies.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Here&#8217;s the point: Destruction came not upon Niniveh, as Jonah wanted, but upon something that has become precious to Jonah.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Jonah is given a taste of destruction &#8211; and it&#8217;s not nice.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Unfortunately he doesn&#8217;t see the parallel between Niniveh and the castor oil plant.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Jonah can be compassionate towards a plant that lasts but a day, but he does not want God to be compassionate to Niniveh &#8211; even though his preaching led them to repentance.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Such cold-hearted meanness is not uncommon.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Maybe the lesson is not about extremes &#8211; as also in the Gospel parable today.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In 21<sup>st<\/sup> century America you dare not pay workers the same if they work eight hours or one hour &#8211; our society couldn&#8217;t operate like that.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Jesus tells this parable about the labourers to teach us that God is generous.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>When the householder says: <em style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">&#8220;Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?&#8221;<\/em><span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>It is the same thing as God producing the castor oil tree one day &#8211; and then sending a worm to eat it the next morning.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Of course God is really not someone who gives and takes away according to our standards.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Both stories are a stark reminder to us that God has been so generous to us that we should be generous too.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The deeper message is surely that we should not prefer the ways of this world to the ways of God.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Should not prefer the things of this world to things of God.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>As the collect for this morning says: <em style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">&#8220;\u2026not to mind earthly things, but to love things heavenly\u2026&#8221;<\/em>.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Our Lord spoke of this many times, he said: <em style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">&#8220;My kingdom is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">not<\/span> of this world&#8221;<\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Saint Paul<\/span><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"> also wrote of the same theme: <em style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">&#8220;Do not be conformed to this world&#8221;<\/em>.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">A particular example occurs in an obscure passage in 2 Timothy 4. As Saint Paul finishes his letter, he sends greetings to various people. And then he says this: <em style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">&#8220;Demas &#8211; in love with this present world &#8211; has deserted me and gone to Thessalonika&#8221;.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Now Demas had been one of Paul&#8217;s band. Iin Colossians 4:14 there is a reference to <em style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">&#8220;Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas&#8221;.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">They travelled to Rome with Paul. But now Demas has left&#8230;&#8230;because he loved the world more.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">We never hear about him again.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>No doubt he had a great time in Thessalonika!!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Just think: if he had not, he could have become Saint Demas &#8211; maybe even had an Epistle named after him!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The warnings for Demas and Jonah are still relevant. Even the disciples of Jesus can fall away.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">How can we avoid this??<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">By remembering that we are to be generous because our God is generous.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>So generous that he sent his Son to take away our sins when we fall away.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Finally I end with words from our Psalm this morning, Psalm 145. 2: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 153.75pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">&#8220;Every day will I give thanks unto thee, and praise thy name forever&#8221;<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matt 20:15 &#8220;Do you begrudge my generosity?.&#8221; \u00a0 What extraordinary readings this morning! \u00a0 The Gospel from (Matthew 20) seems a highly impractical story of labourers all getting paid the same &#8211; no matter how many hours they work. \u00a0 In the Epistle (Philippians 1) Saint Paul is in prison [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}