ENTITLEMENT II

Matthew 20:1-16

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’ ⁸ “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ ⁹ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. ¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. ¹¹ And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ ¹³ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ ¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

I.                  ENTITLEMENT THINKING

1.     An attitude of being special -“I’m exceptional — and in fact, I’m of far greater value to this marriage (or family, or company, or church) than the rest of them, and that’s why I deserve special treatment. They’re lucky to have me.”

2.     An attitude of being _ owed, or of deserving something.

3.     A refusal to accept responsibility.  Ex.  “Why do they want me to pay rent? I didn’t ask to be born. Besides, this will still be their house after I move out. And I can’t pay rent anyway because I don’t have a job. None of the dead-end jobs around here are worth my time and effort. And there’s no reason I

should do my laundry — Mom has to do hers and Dad’s anyway — she can just do mine at the same time. It’s no extra work.”

4.     A denial of one’s__ impact on others — “Sometimes my husband and kids’ lack of responsibility bothers me, and I say exactly what I feel. I’m telling them the truth. I don’t sugarcoat it, and I don’t tone down my language, my volume, or how long I talk. They overreact to what I’m saying, and that’s their problem. It’s a free country, and I can say what I need to say.”

II.               SYMPTOMS OF ENTITLEMENT

1.      You impose unrealistic demands onto your family, children, friends, acquaintances, employees, and employers.

2.      You tend to feel sorry for yourself if things don’t work out the way you wanted (self-pity), and openly advertise this in attention-seeking ways.

3.      People have called you a “bully,” “manipulative,” “ruthless,” “egotistical,” “vain,” or a “liar.”

4.      You believe that you deserve happiness and go to great, sometimes extreme lengths to ensure that happens, often at the expense of others.

5.      You punish people when they don’t do what you want either passively

6.      To “succeed” in life, you believe in going to any lengths.

7.      You regularly see other people as competition or “threats.”

8.       You tend to exhibit many double-standards in the way you behave/interact with other people.

9.      You tend to take more than you give in friendships and relationships.

10.  You tend to look out for yourself, your needs and desires more than anyone else almost 100% of the time.

11.  You have a hard time negotiating or compromising.

12.  You have a deep-seated conviction that you have priority and should always come first, even at the expense of stepping on others.

13.  People always seem to be offended or upset by what they do or say.

14.  You think that you are better, or more important than other people and other people should see this and unquestioningly respect you.

15.  You crave admiration and adoration.

16.  You like to assert your dominance or superiority over other people, finding it second nature.

III.            LIMITED ENTITLEMENT

1.     There is general entitlement.

2.     There is Limited or Seasonal entitlement

3.     Entitlement is not just for young people.

IV.             THE PLIGHT OF ENTITLEMENT

Entitlement has profound ___ negative impacts __

1.     Companies that must deal with unmotivated employees

2.     Parents faced with raising self-centered children

3.     Dating relationships that don’t work because of an “I’m special, and I deserve more than you’re giving me” attitude

4.     Young adults who refuse to grow up and so go nowhere

5.     Leaders who expect special treatment because of their position, not because of their character

6.     Marriages torn apart by the narcissism of a spouse

7.     Ministries saddled with “prima donna” leadership

8.     Professionals who wander from job to job looking for a place that will see them as the “gift to mankind” they consider themselves to be — whether they’re productive or not.

V.                JESUS ON ENTITLEMENT

Matthew 10:14

¹⁴ And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.

VI.             PAUL THE APOSTLE TEACHES AGAINST ENTITLEMENT

1.     Learned Behavior

Philippians 4:10-13

¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

2.     Christian Living

Romans 12:9-16

⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

VII.          ENTITLEMENT: THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE

2 Timothy 3:1-7

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

VIII.       HOW TO OVERCOME ENTITLEMENT

1.     Ban _ Self Pity _

1 Kings 19:9-10

⁹ And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place, and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰ So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.”

2.     _Embrace _the teaching of Scripture that Jesus is enough

Colossians 2:9-10

⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power

Complete means to fill up or make full

3.     Embrace  Self- Denial _

Galatians  5:16-17

¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you cannot do the things that you wish.

4.     ___ Pray _for God to Show You Entitlement Within You and _ Remove it

Psalms 19:12-14

¹² Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. ¹³            Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.¹⁴     Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.