It's Not Fair | Robert Madu | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

It's Not Fair

Elevation Church • Jun 7, 2026 • 51 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In Matthew 20, Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard workers to show that God's kingdom operates on sovereign grace rather than transactional fairness. While early workers negotiated a contract and fell into entitlement, latecomers simply trusted the landowner's character and received unmerited generosity. Believers are called to serve in God's harvest with overwhelming gratitude rather than letting faithfulness slide into grumbling and entitlement.

Themes

Grace vs. FairnessKingdom Harvest and ServiceEntitlement vs. GratitudeGod's Sovereignty and GenerosityTrusting God's CharacterDivine Selection and Inclusion

Pastor's Points

1.

You always have a grumble.

2.

You expect what was never promised.

3.

You struggle to celebrate other people.

4.

You think God owes you.

Key Points

1.
Most pain and frustration in life stem from unmet expectations rather than actual circumstances.
2.
God calls believers to be active workers in His kingdom harvest rather than mere spectators when the harvest arrives.
3.
The early workers insisted on a bargaining contract, whereas later workers simply trusted the landowner's generous character.
4.
Even late in the day, God actively pursues and invites those who have been overlooked or passed by by others.
5.
Seeing God bless others who seem undeserving tests whether we truly trust His sovereign grace.
6.
A subtle danger of long-term faithfulness is letting spiritual service slide into entitlement and resentment.
7.
You know you have a 6:00 a.m. spirit when you constantly grumble, expect unpromised rewards, struggle to celebrate others, or feel God owes you.
8.
True spiritual health transforms hands extended out in self-centered demand into hands lifted high in overwhelmed gratitude for God's unmerited favor.

Sermon Moments

“Most of the pain and the frustration in our lives is not from what happened, it's from what we expected.”

“The landowner was not looking for spectators. He was looking for workers.”

“One group has a contract; the other group has trust.”

“I want to thank God that He still goes out for the 5:00 p.m. people.”

“He will bless people right in front of you that you don't think deserve the grace of God, because that's actually good for your little soul.”

“Don't let your faithfulness become entitlement to where you start looking up to God, thinking He owes you something.”

“6:00 a.m. people always have their hands out looking to the left and right, but 5:00 p.m. people always have their hands up.”

“Thank God it's not fair, because grace is not fair. Fair is spending an eternity in hell.”

This Week

Replace under-the-breath grumbling with intentional, daily praise and thanksgiving.

Identify and surrender any specific demands or expectations you have placed on God that are not explicitly promised in Scripture.

Actively celebrate the successes and blessings of others this week without comparing their journey to your own.

Transition from being a passive spectator in church to serving as an active worker in God's harvest field.

Guard your heart against spiritual entitlement by meditating on salvation as an unearned gift of sovereign grace.

Trust God's consistent character when His timing or methods do not align with your personal expectations.

Practice raising your hands in worship as a physical declaration that you owe God everything rather than Him owing you anything.

Remember This

God's kingdom operates not on human standards of transactional fairness, but on His sovereign generosity and unmerited grace.

A Challenge for You

I'm begging you to turn your entitlement into gratitude. Gratitude is the antidote for complaining, for bitterness, for being stuck.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.