Making It Work: The Last Shall Be The First

Welcome to the Christian car guy radio show. The cop show dedicated to helping Christians buy and sell cars by the book. Now the orange book, but by God's book, the Bible called the Christie car guy with you requested is one 866-34-TRUTH that's 1-866-348-7884 as being a Christian have to do with buying a car you're about to find out is your host radio more OL apparently our computer decided to play my original intro doesn't matter how much work you put into the intro for today, which we will get to is my producers hard at work to find that file so he can play it is a really want you to hear it because it's got so much to do with today show. If you don't hear the intro. You'll get what it is where I'm going. So working to get that intro pulled up and he's going to get it so he can play it and he'll let me know when that happens, but in the meantime the show today is called making it work.

The last will be first so when you look at your work, do you look at it. Like many songs that you would've heard my intro, one of which is untaken what I'm giving because I'm working for 11 or you look at work.

Do you think about that, I'm taking what I'm giving because I'm working for living or is Carly Simon will sing in the intro and if I didn't is and she, by the way, she won an Emmy in a Grammy and a Golden Globe with these lyrics. We, the great and small stand on a star and blaze a trail of desire through the darkening, Dawn, so making it work.

The last will be first when you think about work. Can you recall in your own life. The hardest day work hardest days work you've ever had a course I realize working, and a lot of different forms, whatever. So as I was processing out of my own mind I was think about the hardest physical days work ever had in my life. I had to tell this story is really pretty funny when I think back on it, but it wasn't funny at all. At the time it was 1973 I was 18 years old I worked for Gallas Oldsmobile Cadillac in Albuquerque New Mexico on Central Avenue and I was the shipping and receiving clerk in the parks department is a fairly large dealership and so we have a lot employees my have a specific role was to unload all the trucks with the parts came in every single day and this particular day we got a load of antifreeze. The reason we did in 1973 the gas crisis was put fixing to happen in our parts manager's name is Jack Straley. I remember all too well had seen that all my goodness to price advanced antifreeze was going to skyrocket. So he bought an entire piggyback truck of Santa Fe truck load of it, but he didn't. He did not tell his shipping receiving clerk, nor did he tell me it was coming nor did he tell me that it would have to go up two steps, excused flights of stairs up to the old warehouse that was across from the parks department and sub hope you can imagine this young 18-year-old's face when this man pulls up with this big huge Santa Fe in a semi truck and disconnects the trailer and just set there and he goes I'll be back tomorrow to pick up my empty trailer and when I look inside it is respectful about an entire semi truck absolutely full with boxes of antifreeze narrative for me.

I understand all too well what a box of antifreeze is it is 6 gallons, which at 7 pounds a gallon is about 42 pounds a box and each box had to be carried upstairs to that warehouse individually so I have a key to the parks department and as soon as I saw what had taken place. It was about lunchtime and I had the key in my hand I was going to go give it to my boss and say good luck with this fit with just the phenomenal amount of work, but neither he, trying to enter God time that I don't know what really happened, but what I know is when I arrived at his office with Mikey my handwriting to resign. He had them apparently left for lunch and there was no one there. So I went back to my department. I sat there and I looked at the truck full antifreeze and I just began to think what am I gonna do, and I thought well until he gets back I'll start unload Mr. while I don't how many cases antifreeze was unknown how many stairs are climate day.

I don't know what else happened that day. I put in the hardest day work I've ever been. By the way, each of didn't help me and said hello Robbie I see you got all up in a truckload of antifreeze to unload and take up the stairs. Fortunately, I was 18 and didn't give me a heart attack, but I did get it done. I know what I didn't get paid a penny extra for all that work that day, and you may not think that's fair. When I look back on it I got so much more that Dave and I probably got out of many other days were probably the most I ever got out of the days work a Gallas Oldsmobile was. I got an understanding of how hard I could work and how much I have what it takes. So when Jesus tells that terrible right where he says the last shall be first. All we got is had me on this lesson plan the parable of the day laborers or some say the workers in the vineyard and is just not fair. It's just not fair is it so here's the parable I'm a read it. So if you hadn't heard it in a while you can kinda process it and see where that's coming from how we coming to you for your find in my intro, you got it. Are you ready to play it.

Not yet.

Will play it in the break. Okay so here's the parable from Matthew 21 through 16, for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard now and he agreed with the workers to pay them a denarius per day. He sent them into his vineyard. So those are the guys went out first in the morning he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the marketplace. Idle I said to them, hey you two going to my vineyard and I'll give you whatever is right, so they went again. He went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same about the 11th hour with about four in the afternoon he went out again and found others standing around and he said to them, why have you been standing here idle all day because no one hardest. They said he said then you go into my vineyard to now when evening came, the owner of the vineyard and said to his foreman in case you notice this before. I think he purposely provoked him and so I think Jesus is purposely provoking us.

They call the workers to pay them their wages, beginning with the first excuse me, beginning with the last, the guys that showed up last and then to the first and those would come about the 11th hour each received a denarius and when the first came, they suppose that they would receive more, yet they too received a denarius, but when they received the began to grumble against the master of the house saying these guys did one hour and you've made them equal to us who bore the burden of the scorch of the day, but answering. He said one of them friend I'm doing, you know, wrong. Did you agree with me on a denarius take what years and go, but I want to give this last excuse me and go but if I want to give the last guy the same as you. Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me, or is your eye evil, because I'm good. So the last will be first in the first will be bought last right provoking his net. It's really worth meditation because, by all means so much fertilizer devoted to our work, so here is the way many look at work and are crucial in our culture right, it's that point of view I'm taken with the given consent working for living everybody's working for the weekend.

I can remember my original parts manager even before were to Gallas once told me you know I work all year long so I can take a vacation.

This is like the life I want to lead so when you read that terrible with that point of view right. It brings anger and disbelief. Really, that Jesus God was say such a thing and then the finish with that. The first will be last in the last bill be referred to you be going. What you talking about Willis started to think I really did I start to think how bad does it feel to but be unemployed versus how good does it feel to do a job well and I find myself achieving or doing more than I could write so like in the case of the antifreeze I achieved way more than I thought I could and I did wavelet at an end. The difference of what that felt like versus sitting there unemployed, so finding out that I can really do things that I'm not lazy or ineffective, especially when I'm doing work in my own hands and asked actually answers a couple of core questions, especially for Matagorda. John Eldridge is a wild at heart book it said you know of the core questions a man asked all the times do I have what it takes and think about how that answers that question when you work that hard in those guys who worked all day long and so I also add that the workers who came in early the morning they had the joy of working with a good boss right of the city was good and it those other guys were probably came early in the morning they were diligent workers to play when I got there early and they weren't sitting around wondering all day. If you're going to get any work. So those who came later and had worked in my ideal they would have had a much worse day because right there, sit there wondering if I meant to get any money today having to be able to feed my family there, stressing, wondering, they're sitting there idle. You know how hard it is to sit there and do nothing all day. When those who got to work the first thing they got to go on this adventure like Carly Simon talk about the battle and the point of you are right we come back to finally hear my interest and what I had in mind that I hope will inspire you for where were going on the last will be first today show right making it work. The last will be first blues will we've got another even a little more confused at where over the rainbow but that was a trip I don't know what's going on but we will get to that because we are talking today on today show making it work. The last will be first and the first will be last, and we been talking about that parable and what Jesus might've been getting into and I shared what I thought was probably the hardest physical days work I ever did and I wonder if you had a similar story and what you got paid and we would love to hear from you. 866-348-7884 866-34-TRUTH. Or maybe you have some insight on the last will be first.

What were talking about today with making it work, but you know this is an adventure from a particular point of view that those guys who went out into the vineyard first thing in the morning they were working with a great boss and when you leave pay out of the situation right got work with a great boss to got to do work, they got to see what they had, that they had what it takes and like Carly Simon. I mean it was like there they've got this desire to do good work, so as we enter into the Thanksgiving season running and we think about how much work goes into a turkey or Thanksgiving dinner right is not a big chart joint part of the joy of the season in the cleaning and the chopping in the boiling and the peeling in the roasting and doing it with brothers and sisters or mothers and fathers right to have your son come help you with the chopping in the peeling in the month. You know all that stuff it's family, it's work you're working together and you get paid in the way dungeon and I know for me is a legendary time. I forgot to put the sugar in the pumpkin pie which you know the Fellowship of molarity of that legend in my family. Are you eyeing a discount on when the pumpkin pie gets handed out this year somebody in my family will point out the day I made sugar-free punk with what's good as well. You put the sugar so working has its rewards and I many many in my view and those guys who came first. They've gotten paid.

Last, but there's so much mortal life and abundant life than monetary compensation, but before I move on to further exclamation of the last will be first watch the think with me in this. This is also a story. I would love to hear about a great boss right. Think about the great bosses that God has placed in your life right and my guess is if you are thinking about a great boss right now. My guess is that you felt appreciated favored right you felt like you were favored. That's grace.

Jesus is full of Brian is full of grace and I bet they told you the truth, because Jesus is full right that's the other thing that Jesus is full of grace and truth, and the other thing that you'll find about great bosses in my opinion is great bosses are generous right Ephesians 48. Jesus gave gifts to men. Now that great boss in mind anything about that. I hope you aren't hope to call and tell that story. 866-348-7884 will gift the word gift means you didn't earn it. The word gift means that generous boss. He gave you a gift and pay is not based on what you do right if it's a gift of a generous boss and I really think that you know the first time I was promoted by Royce Reynolds to be general manager of the dealership. I was no man more a general manager of the dealership when he started paying me to be a general manager dealership, but how generous was he that he started to pay me at the level of what he was that he wanted me to achieve. I wasn't there yet.

It was a gift. I didn't see it that way at the time I thought I knew everything. That is, it was a gift. I'm telling is often feel God is telling me Robbie stop striving, let's go to this together.

I wanted take you the fun way the way of adventure and beauty in battle with me and end with me. Jesus tells me I can't lose. So I want to think back to that gracious, truthful Jesus like boss that you pad or maybe had a pastor like that but I sure have so theologically, I believe that the last will be first in the first will be left was the last was originally meant for the disciples and the disciples needed to understand that though the Jews got there first words I got the law first in the got Jesus first day as a group would be the last to come in the kingdom, mostly because they felt they earned it right look in any pharisaical point of view and their earning their way into the kingdom as we Jesus is you're missing out on half the fun. Doesn't everything to do with what you've earned right and at another level, yes.

Many accept Jesus as their Savior on their deathbed and they will get to heaven even though they were the last to accept Christ, and I love that.

The sad aspect of that, however, is it even in my own story. I didn't receive Christ until I was 36 years old so I missed the joy of getting into the vineyard first thing in the whole thing. I got I missed the joy of working for the ultimate boss in the ultimate vineyard with other brothers and sisters for 36 years. I know the cool thing about all this is the MV and the jealousy aspect right.

Jesus is digging in them even tells us that how I see things right out.

This is Robbie Gilmore how I see things through the self filter or the God filter or the good filter right. Jesus is giving phenomenal gifts to people who hardly seem worthy. If I'm looking through my self filter right I'm seeing all these gifts that these of the regatta and through my self filter they hardly seem worthy.

Yet through the God filter. I can see that the good boss is leading a worker to a higher work ethic by paying a middle level. He knows he can work at right now is done that in my life has given me gifts way beyond anything I could possibly earn knowing that he made me in his image, and I do have what it takes. And so, by the way, are all those people everyone ever met you never met a mere mortal right they all are made of God stuff. So with all that said, I am so glad the last will be first right.

I don't want anyone to miss out. I want everyone to accept Jesus as the good boss in a course you can go to Christian car guy.com and I've got a whole page on how you can accept Christ get the good boss but think think to do a good boss and you're getting a picture of Christ somebody who favored you who you felt they really appreciated you saw your gifts was willing to invest in you were willing to give you pay above what it was that you were doing because they were trying to get you to come up to all that we could. They knew that you could be on me is the ultimate boss. That's the story. I would love to hear yours 866-34-TRUTH 878-848-6634 truth and grace filled boss when we come back is being there you go, at least part of it that's the work that's the work thing that I think our culture kinda sees work in all those different innuendos that are made in those songs. I have the other part of that working here at the next break, but today were talking about the idea of how it works, so to speak, and the last will be first, and I was wondering if you had that grace filled boss like the good vineyard owner that was generous. That was full of grace full of truth. We have our good friend Aaron to share about her boss and you're on the Christian car guy show good morning. Yes, we are were at work and for live and so much more nanny the last couple of years that I have absolutely adored and I worked my a lot. I mean I really have a know it triplet and then everything find that I have. I found that that it really it really helped to you know to to work hard in and I have learned that that II just had to tell little story real quick because when you first started talking about carrying all those boxes or whatever.

I had that my book that I wrote in unit 2012 really worked hard on that and dad and then what is actually published in 2013, you know, I thought of this is great. I had many of the timelines that I'm in order and boxes and boxes well they delivered them all right, third floor walk-up and yes there I mean a lockout to the third floor and you were 18, I was 15 and they delimited a platform wooden platform of books on the bottom floor and I said at a they bring them up and if that now Natalie don't get paid to do that and I said I have to carry the diving I'm telling you in a 28 and now I might – they were so heavy and I started off trying to do it at me because I knew I could lay them down. It is all these I don't eat at number how many but by so I'm climbing up the steps and I think God admitted to have a heart attack and I am I am I just put this book. Don't let me die because I was really I was up on the third floor.

After that, I don't know how many boxes and I'm just abandon the faith and I and I'm looking over the side and three teenage boy I tell you something cool and I green the other day I go downstairs and plead hi. I'm Tanya. They make a good not to the time and I landed at Payne man and I know God had no there is something really really well. Grace filled and magical about hard work and about you, not really. Nothing.

Good job, and their kids are so sweet I don't think of everything that you know just dies in the story Mrs. I listen as an outsider, knowing you as I do think you know you did something there which is what I do you know what I originally faced the job. I was like there's no way in the world. I do this right, but then I made the decision just a minute to a mama start. I'm in a start and when you make that decision to start and and like you asked God to come into that venture you known to stink much fun it was to work on a car with your dad or go some adventure with you that you know that was fun. Well, that's what God's inviting test to do it every every work thing that we begin the face, and if and if you'll started you know how many times did he finish it. I think it is alien from writing out of many episodes agreed to guard at the end of the all yeah I am here now I know where that's going and if I made you think how we basically started Christian car guy theater one).

I heard you, and you knew had been dented and oddities evident and I called you and as you know, so the next time you put me and in the shadow and now we have this incredible and it makes me really want to cry Robbie because we had so many incredibly talented people volunteered to do this. Yeah, we got to teenage boys. They all jumped in that there are gifted actors that you know we started, and God just keeps bringing more our way as we just entered into the adventure with him continue to ask him to come alongside with so yeah that that's a beautiful stories that it's a beautiful story.

I'm so glad you called in the day.

Thank you. I am glad your letter, you sound like yourself. I really like, you know that I would.

I know you but anyway it and that are now back and okay Medea, I think we should abide well. You may have a story when he heard that in your think I need to call him at home. The number well it is 866348788486634. Truth is a number to call in and share your story.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention all it's a Christian car guy.com. We got a new car show calendar for November. We have all those episodes of Christian car guy theater like we just talked about with analog is very very gifted actors and actresses but also there's the Jesus labor of love, which is car repair labor for single moms widows and families in crisis and I was at boot camp last week.

As you may know, and so we came in with a whole bunch of people that we are working on and we could use your prayers as as we speak and I'm so grateful for Foster's automotive here in High Point, North Carolina know if you're in Seattle. We got people out there that are helping us to put this man really stepped up this week on the 99 Camry that was overheating needs a water pump is really really extensive job and then he needed to tow it on top of that, and he jumped in and did all that was just blown away again.

You you you call something like that in your dislike God. I don't know how were going to help us. I talked up with a leathery surgeon for the but I want to call.

I want to pray with them. Anyway, I just see if I could try to do so. I called William and Foster's automotive and he's like Robbie. I'll do that I may not get it done tomorrow, but I'll get it done.

And sure enough, God comes through time and time again you will find out how to pray for those people. If you want send in an application because you have a crisis. All that is a Christian car guy.com as well as all that I talked about today. The Scripture references and you know if you want to go back in and think through these things about your own work and what really God is calling us on this adventure to work as you know, as we were kids we working on to the Lord. No matter what it is were doing and so I have another stories you might ask. When I lost the dealership in Jordan in Marksville. As you can imagine, it was devastating to my family.

It was devastating to me financially. It was devastating to my thought of whether or not I really had any value or whether or not I really had what it took. It broke my heart in so many different ways and so I ran out of money and because I actually didn't take a paycheck the last six months of the dealership. What we are trying to find a way to make it all work and I'm stupid, and offered me a job at the Truth Network, which was wonderful.

Believe me I needed so badly. But there wasn't there enough was enough money to get up security deposit for the power because I we lost our house for the mortgage on a house in the bid we been evicted and and we had to find a house and had to make the deposit on that matter, to make deposit the power and always things I had immediate financial needs, and I had no money, and so one of the salesman actually was tell me that Robbie you know I'm throwing papers every morning and I make it about $1000 a month doing that. You just have to get up at three in the morning to go through papers and course I was while I was in a bad situation.

I needed the money and here was an opportunity so I said well let me get in on this deal. And so you know at the time I was in my mid-50s like it flips the shape of throw papers, but I got a route where I actually had to go these apartments you know and climb stairs and all the stuff to throw these papers and always.

But there were these little ole's wonderful people that get the paper right and I had noticed that the way the man told me when I did my route.

I was supposed to throw the paper down the sidewalk, but I noticed that there were these little hangers where the paper was posted on the mailbox and being a little bit older. I know how much it hurts to bend over so I thought, wow, what if I put those papers into those little hangers and I'll share what happened in that story of what God had for me there when we come back, but we need your story, 866-3487 and we are working today, but I was the other side of how you view your work. We heard that you know I'm taking with him given cousin working for a living. Or do you see it is adventure in battle, and the chance to walk with the father and doing some amazing things and as I was describing my situation you know when I lost the dealership. It was about 11 years ago and I didn't have the money for the electric deposit because we needed a new house and at this time I had three kids in the house and you know we are and we were in a desperate way and so I decided I would throw papers which been that I was in a Chrysler dealer. It was a bit was a bit of a humbling thing to go from the position that I had worked myself up to the position that I worked myself down to I really lost so much confidence and I'd lost a lot of things I lost all my cars and all my wealth and whatever else and so I'm throwing papers in but as I'm this dark right when you're throwing papers at four in the morning and I noticed that if I was just sliding these papers down the down the sidewalk there to these older ladies houses and and they would have to bend over and pick him up and I thought you know there's a nice little hook for a paper another mailbox. I bet they would really appreciate it if I put the paper under the mailbox. I started doing that well. That Valentine's Day I'll never ever forget. I got a note from one of those wonderful patrons. That said, you are the best paperboard chic or she'd never seen me. She did not see said you are the best paperboy I've ever had.

I so appreciate you hanging this and she gave me a tip for five dollars a course to five dollars meant nothing to me compared to what she had done for a very broken ego for very broken man who didn't think he had what it took its if you read Psalm amine Proverbs 2416 it says, though the righteous man falls seven times, they rise again.

The wicked stumble when calamity strikes you see, God had that for really no low point in my ability to work and so work it out sometimes just has to do with the father sending you a note that you really still our favorite. You really do what has have what it takes and you really made are made on a star stuff. So I love that little montage that God help me to put together I could and played at the beginning but it's kind of neat that it plays now show that you know to go to work with an attitude of I'm in a take on in a Satan and his kingdom, and I'm gonna fight work for what's right and what I know is true and I'm in the favor. Other people like the good boss and I'm in a be generous like the generous king that that I work for most, things you know that's a real opportunity for us and I think back to another lesson from the Marksville dealership that I that I should never ever forget about and in a you know I just know the story, so I never share it although I'm kind of one of the chief participants in it.

So when I came to open that dealership long long long before this episode, there were a number of sales people that work there and one of them's name was Johnny Hendrix, and none of the salesman knew how McCarthy's basketball and I made an even on the cars. It was on so I had to go into the records from the previous month and look every salesman up and see how maybe sold in Johnny Hendrix and sold the most and I wanted to restructure their pay so that you know they would be paid on commission and hopefully make more money, but at the same time be motivated to sell more cars because the dealership was underperforming at that point in time and when I went to Johnny Hendrix. He said I'm not interested in being on commission at all. I I'm fine with the salary they paid me for years as he was taken what he was given because he was working for living fiercely. It was and I knew that Johnny knew everybody in town and he was all about. It cars a month. At that point in time, but I could clearly see that the man was capable way, way, way, way more than that, but I wanted to hear what he had to say and I wanted to listen and that I wanted to know what it was and so I start praying for wisdom and and I called my dad who you know was a management consultant car dealers for years and years explaining the whole situation to him.

He said son just came in sorry like yes but then give them a bonus if you will sell the number cars and make it big. You know that would be equal to similar to his commission if he sells a number cars you think you could sell what wisdom that wants because I went to Johnny. I said okay working to keep paying your salary but if you sell 12 cars in a working to give you a $3000 bonus if you sell 15 cars in order to give you 5000 on up. It went. Never ever forget what happen as long as I live.

His guess what Johnny sold 22 cars next month. He hadn't sold 22 cars in all the years of the work. It was the matter.

The inventory was better.

It was a matter of just all the sudden he saw of a way that he could actually be compensated for for what it was he was worth any was worth all that in an unfortunate and in fact I've told the story many times about when Johnny came to Christ.

Later on in life and it's a glorious story and there is no doubt a big part of of what I've seen God work in my life was to Johnny Hendrix but one of the things he told many people in the waning years of his lie in the waning days of his life.

It should say years was man.

I've never had so much fun working in my life and it didn't have to do with the money. I promise you, it had to do with.

He found out that he could sell 22 cars a month. He found out that he had all kinds a capability that he didn't know when all the sudden you know he was put in a position to show we have what it takes and I know that when you go to work on Monday. There still be something that shows up like hey this could be better if I put this paper on the hanger with byway working with your own hands is also to merit when you're down and out where I was at that point, but whatever it is that you're doing.

You're doing it on to the Lord, and you can see, and what it is that you're doing an opportunity to go on adventure with God and say all we could do it this way we do that way and in and in doing so you can see the miraculous things and other people in the way that that God is working in their life and so you will be glad that the last or first you will be so excited that you got to go on the adventure of God as long as you did, but your to be so glad that those people got in and and get to spend eternity with such a boss because believe me he is full of favor.

You are his favorite. He is full of truth. He will tell you what's really going on in the will tell you when you got something your eye and you got it bad you're looking at things wrong. I mean that's the beautiful thing about the parable of the day laborers.

Is he showing you you gotta you got a splinter in your eyes and you need to take a look at that and what do I need to do to read look at this to get that thing out of my eyes see good bosses. They tell the truth so they're full of grace there full of truth. But there also phenomenally generous because what they want you to see is your worth your more valuable than we ever give ourselves credit for. When were walking and that adventure with that. So again, I'm so grateful that you listened. They waited for all those that they created.

I'm so grateful that that for all the help of the Jesus labor. Love the many many donations and all the things that make that possible for the all the folks to get help with cars in crisis again a Christian car guy.com.com and now remember slow down. Jesus walked everywhere he went and got it all done in 33 years. Thank you for listening?