Well, good afternoon. As a really appropriate song for what we're going to be looking at this afternoon, what a joy to know that we have a God who holds his people fast. Not one will be lost. Open up your copy of the scriptures to Matthew chapter 20. Gospel According to St. Matthew, Chapter 20. I'm going to be continuing the series I've been working on for a while now, going through the parables taught by our Lord. We're going to look at a parable that's often called the Parable of the Vineyard Workers. This parable goes from verses 1 through 16, and like most of the parables that our Lord uses in his teaching, they are made, they're used to respond to a statement or a question that somebody has asked him. In this case, he's responding to Peter, who asks him at the end of 19, you look at chapter 19, verse 27, Peter answered and said to him, see, we have left all and followed you. Therefore, what shall we have? This question by Peter is prompted by the Lord's interaction with the rich young ruler. I'm not going to read that. Let's go ahead and read the first 16 verses of 20, and then we'll go back and consider the end of 19. But let's read the parable, and then we'll go back and consider how it begins. Matthew chapter 20, beginning in verse 1. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now, when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, you also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. So they went. Again, he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why have you been standing idle all day? 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. 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. And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them and said, friend, I'm doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Sorry. Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first and the first last. We'll stop there. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for giving us this Lord's Day. Thank you for this time we can be in your word together this afternoon. Help me, Lord, to speak as I ought to speak and use these words to strengthen your people, to encourage them, and to give us the motivation and the desire to labor for you while we are able. In Jesus' name, amen. So as I said at the beginning, this parable is in response really to Peter's statement at the end of the last chapter. So in chapter 19 we have this story of the rich young ruler who comes to Jesus and in the back and forth he's confronted with the law of God and he goes away sorrowful because he doesn't want to lose his wealth. He doesn't want to give up his wealth in order to follow Jesus. And Jesus tells the disciples in response to this, he says, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Now this is one of my pet peeves, hear people preach on this. I see that smile, Trent. People will often try and lessen the impact of that by claiming, maybe you've heard this, there's a really tiny gate in Jerusalem that the merchants would have to make the camel get down and they would just barely wiggle through and squeeze through. Only a couple problems with that. One, there's no evidence such a gate existed. And two, it turns the whole statement on its head. Jesus' whole point is that salvation is impossible apart from God's work. Trying to say that there's this little tiny gate, and if you try really hard, you're saying that salvation is just hard, but you can do it if you put enough effort into it. Completely twists not at all what I'm actually preaching on this afternoon, but an extra for you. But in response to this, Peter says, well, look, Lord, we've left everything to follow you. What will we have? And what did Jesus say? He says, assuredly, I say to you that in the regeneration, in the new heavens and the new earth, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or wife or children or lands for my name's sake shall receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last and the last first." So Peter says, well, what do we get? He seems to be insinuating that, well, we're not like the rich young ruler. We've actually abandoned everything. He seems to be insinuating that. He and the others are more virtuous, more deserving of some special privilege in the kingdom to come. But Jesus answers with three points. First, he says, well, the apostles will have a unique place. They have a unique place in the kingdom of God, symbolized by these 12 thrones of judgment that they sit on. Second, he says that not just they, but any follower who is abandoned by family or loses their possessions will gain a hundredfold more. Houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, children, or lands, all these things can be lost for the cause of Christ. And I know that's the case for many people, even in our church. Children who want nothing to do with parents. Or fathers who do not want anything to do with their sons. Brothers, sisters, who do not want to be around you because you have another king. Because you have gone from darkness into light and they still love the darkness. And it is heartbreaking. But the Lord does not leave his children to be orphans. The parallels in Luke and Mark specify that this hundredfold recompense occurs in this life. Now, he's not talking about a prosperity gospel that if you name it and claim it, you'll have a hundred houses and all this nonsense. This is a picture of the church. The church is the extended family that often will not just come alongside your earthly family, but often, unfortunately, because of sin and hardness of heart, the church family will often need to replace earthly families. Just as we heard this morning that The church under persecution, Jesus identified with that. He felt it. He said, why are you persecuting me? In the same way, the church is the way that we often receive the love and grace of Christ. He feels our suffering through the church, and through the church, we receive his love. So maybe your sons or your daughters, your mother, your father, your brothers, sisters, maybe they have abandoned you because you followed Jesus. But look around, you have more sons and daughters here. You have brothers and sisters here. There are many fathers and mothers here. Rejoice in what God has given. This is why the meetings of the church are so important as well. It's hard to be a family when you don't know one another. That's his second response. Yes, you've left all these things to follow me. But in the end, you're going to get far more back than you ever gave up, both in this life with your Christian brothers and sisters in the church, and in the end, eternal life. the greatest gift that God could give. He is going to forgive your sins. Grace upon grace upon grace to those who follow Jesus. And thirdly, he tells Peter in verse 30 of chapter 19, he tells them that they should not take pride in themselves Because this status in heaven, these privileges they may or may not experience, are not bestowed according to man's measurement. Many times, the first will be last, the last will be first. And this parable follows this. And really, the point of this parable is to elaborate what the Lord means by this phrase, this saying, the first will be last and the last first. Because in verse 16, he repeats it again, actually, reverse order in the end of 19, he says the first will be last and the last first. In chapter 20 of 16, the last will be first and the first last. This aphorism, this saying bookends the parable, and so we know that this is what the parable is intended to instruct us about. How will the first be last and the last be first? The parable is fairly straightforward. Even the imagery is fairly clear. There's much agreement on what these things are. There's a few different elements in the parable. There's the landowner. The king of Mahon is like a landowner. Who is the landowner? It is obviously God. The Old Testament repeatedly speaks of God's people being a vineyard, of God being a vineyard owner, the land owner, a dresser of his vineyard. This imagery is used consistently throughout the scripture. And here, this imagery continues in the New Testament. It's extended even more into the New Covenant where God's kingdom is going to fill the whole earth. go beyond just the bounds of the nation of Israel. And I think we can apply it to all of the Christian life, this labor in the vineyard. It is living in obedience to the will and the commands of God. As we heard this morning, what did Paul say? What will you have me to do? What does the landlord? He seeks out laborers. He goes into the marketplace. Again, the sovereignty of God, the laborers aren't beating down the gates of the vineyard saying, give me a job. They're standing idle and the master of the vineyard goes out and says, you go work for me. The sovereignty of God. Again, he comes to the center and says, no, you are mine. I will make you my worker. And I will give you what is right. You go and work in my vineyard. The laborers, these are obviously those who are Christians, those who have been affectionately called. They're idle in the marketplace until the landowner goes and gets them and brings them in to labor in his vineyard. These are those who are chosen by God's grace and brought into his kingdom. And the main thing that is unique about this parable is that this landowner goes out to the marketplace multiple different times throughout the day at different points of the day. First, let's say he goes out early in the morning, so six o'clock in the morning is what most people agree that this means. It's 6 a.m., the start of the workday. He goes out and hires men. And again, at the third hour of the day, or nine in the morning. And then again, he goes out at the sixth hour and the ninth hour, so noon and three, and about the 11th hour, 5 p.m., an hour before the end of the day, he goes out and gets more laborers for his vineyard. And the applications of this are numerous. Now, the parable doesn't tell us exactly, particularly what this should be a picture of. And you read the commentaries, and there's numerous applications, and I think they're all genuine, honestly. The whole point here is that God calls his people in different ways and at different times to do different works. Not everyone in the kingdom is going to do the same thing. Not everyone is going to have the same labor. Because God is sovereign over who he calls, when he calls, and where he sends you to work. So do not begrudge your brother who has a more prominent position. And do not begrudge your sister because life seems to be working better for her. God is sovereign over these things. God has chosen this. God is the one doing this. The landowner goes out at these times and grabs these men, and this is a picture of God, whether it's someone in the early part of their life who hears the gospel, and they repent, and they believe, and they have a long life of serving Jesus, or someone on their deathbed, hearing the gospel for the thousandth time, and it finally pierces their heart. They're brought in just the same. Perhaps another application is the apostles in contrast to the later disciples or even the Jews and the Gentiles. In time, those who first followed Jesus, those who were first most dedicated to him, is their salvation any more secure than ours 2,000 years later? No, we receive the same forgiveness of sins. Christ has not changed. We are just as secure as the Apostle Peter. It could also be a metaphor for the first and last could also be a metaphor of worldly status that the first hired in the day first often has not just a temporal significance but a a value or a prominence significance, the first being the most important, the last being the less important. So maybe those hired at the first part of the day, maybe those are who seem to be more prominent in the earth, have more power. The great ones from this world do not receive a better salvation. The poor and the meek, those who are the least, do not receive any less forgiveness. God is not a God of partiality. The same eternal life is given to all who call on his name. And that is the thrust of this parable. As he said there at the end of chapter 19, what is the ultimate blessing? You will receive eternal life. And that is what is pictured here. And the payment that they receive Look at verse eight, so when evening had come, evening, six in the evening, so some workers had been there for 12 hours, some for only one, and a whole bunch in between. When evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, call the laborers, give them their wages, begin with the last to the first. And when those came who were hired about the 11th hour, they each received a denarius, a denarius, about a day's wage, a common laborer's pay. They'd work one hour, and they get a full day's wage. And you can immediately think that the guys who were hired at the beginning, they're doing the math like, well, we're here for 12. They got a denarius for one hour. We've been here 12. That's two weeks of pay. I mean, they're rubbing their hands. They're all excited. But it gets down, and they also get the denarius. And what do they say? The complaint of every child, that's not fair. And really the complaint of every human heart, because we want what we want, often without consideration of what is actually just. We often complain that such and such is not fair. But that's the complaint, that this isn't fair. These men have only worked one hour and you've made them equal to us who have borne the burden and heat of the day. Them receiving their pay, this is a picture of final judgment. Now the owner has gone out to the marketplace multiple times throughout the day and hired new laborers, but there has come a time when the evening has come and there is no more work to do that day. There is no longer opportunity for new hires. In the same way, God is now at work calling sinners to himself, but there is a final day coming. There will be a final day in this life where there will be no more time for you to hear and respond to God's call. The time to repent will have passed and the time of judgment will come. And this pay, again, refers to the ultimate gift that God gives his followers, eternal life. Now, this isn't to say there are no unique rewards for works in heaven. We're told explicitly that there will be a judgment according to works. Some will receive greater rewards, 1 Corinthians 3 and other places. But 1 Corinthians 3 in particular talks about, if anyone's work which he has built endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. But this parable is not about additional rewards. This is about the forgiveness of sins. This is about eternal life. The disciples were amazed that Jesus had said it will be hard for the rich to be saved because they thought the rich had a special grace that would make salvation easier for them. But that is not so. It is the same for all, the same forgiveness must be received by all. If anyone is to be saved, they will be saved the same way through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. No matter what time they are saved or where they're at in their life or history, there is only one means of the forgiveness of sins and the same gift of eternal life given to all. But these workers, they complain They say it's not fair. We have worked here all day, and you've given us the same as those who have only worked an hour. How is this possible? How is this fair? Well, the landowner says, I made an agreement with you. We agreed. You work, and I'll pay you a denarius. I've done you no wrong. I've given you exactly what I said I would give you. I'm free to do what I want with what I have. Again, the absolute sovereignty of God. He is free to do as he wants with what is his. And what belongs to our God? Everything. You, your family, your possessions, our country, this world, it all belongs to him. He is free to do with it as he wills. But he's discussing with this laborer, I've done you no wrong. You agreed with me for Denarius. Is your I evil because I am good? Other versions I think are more helpful. Are you begrudging my generosity? Are you upset because I am generous? Some people are called and they live a life of prominence. They are in the spotlight, so to speak. They work hard for the kingdom of God and they are recognized. Some people work hard for the kingdom and are never recognized. Some people are converted at the end of their life and have little time to work. Some people are converted in the middle age and they seem to have a life of ease. God calls his people at different times and in different ways. You cannot look at your brother and say, that's not fair. Why is my job so much harder? Why are my children so much more of a burden seemingly? Why is my life so much harder than theirs? How come they have so much easier than I have? And God says to you, I've done you no wrong. I've kept my promises. That's ultimately what this parable is about. God keeps his promises. God has done you no wrong. He's given you what he has said he will give you. It's interesting in the Luke and Mark parallel passages to the end of 19 he talks about you'll receive brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers and children with persecutions. Matthew doesn't mention that but Mark and Luke do. The sufferings of this life. are also from the hand of God. So when you go through difficulty, when you go through trial, God is doing you no wrong. God is still in the midst of all of it, keeping his promises to you. And so at the end, you will receive that great gift of eternal life. The same as everyone else. We heard about the amazing conversion of the Apostle Paul this morning. All the evil that Paul had done. And then all the good that he had done afterwards. Most of our New Testament, Paul, an apostle, Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ. But he doesn't have a better salvation than we have. because he wrote scripture, because he was an apostle. He doesn't have a worse salvation because he persecuted the church. He received the same forgiveness of sins as you and I have, because God does not show partiality. This parable Again, I said this is meant to explain this phrase, the first will be last and the last will be first. It seems like it doesn't really explain that. Everyone gets the same thing. Everyone gets a denarius. And that's really the point. The first and last, I think, are...it's not a mathematical formula. The point is God does not show favoritism to any. He keeps his promises, he gives eternal life to all his followers. We will be equal in that sense in the kingdom of God. There's no special room for the really good Christians and in the outer court for those who just barely skated by. Christ's mercy is sufficient for all. So maybe you have a life of ministry, a life of service to God, pouring yourself out. Maybe your Christian life is a short time, a repentant heart given late in life, or maybe God has given you comparatively a life of ease, you receive the same salvation. All receive the same grace. No one considered to be first will stand before God on that final day and say, this isn't fair, I deserve better. No one will stand before God and say, I deserve better, look what I did for you. Jesus in another place, Luke 17, 10 says, so likewise you, when you've done all of these things which you are commanded to do, say, we are unprofitable servants. We have done what is our duty to do. No one can say, I deserve better. And in the same way, those who are last will not be ashamed and say, this is too much, Lord. I didn't earn this. I can't accept it. No one on that last day will say, no, I can't receive this, Lord. This isn't for me. Luke 12, 32, do not fear, little flock. It is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So every Christian, whether great or small, young or old, first or last, whoever you are, whatever state God has called you in, and whatever work God has called you to, Every Christian must rest and rejoice in our sovereign God who makes and keeps all his promises. Above all, the promise of eternal life. No life of service will obligate God toward you. He is not in your debt. At the same time, no failings or weakness on your part will cause him to cast you out. Praise God that we serve such a good, faithful, and sovereign God. Praise God that he is good and that he has made these precious promises to you. And praise God that he's keeping every one of them. Our Father, we thank you that you have made such marvelous promises to your people. Lord, help us to not judge by men's standards, but to judge with righteous judgment. To look around and see brothers and sisters and mothers, fathers, children, that you have made us a family and have poured out on us all these gifts We do not deserve the least of them, Lord. But you have been so kind. To make these promises to your people. And we thank you, Lord, that you keep your promises. Thank you, Lord, for the forgiveness of sins. Thank you for sending your son to redeem us. And to bring us into your kingdom. And help us, Lord, while there is still day to labor in your vineyard. Be diligent and to work in a way that pleases you. And may you receive all the glory in Jesus name. Amen.