WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.540 Today, while we have our little heart -to -heart 00:00:02.540 --> 00:00:07.879 talk, I'm going to ask you to just sit down and 00:00:07.879 --> 00:00:13.300 listen. As together, we study the Word of God. 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.320 Sometimes, you know, I say to you, well, I'll 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:18.460 just speak loudly enough so that you can just 00:00:18.460 --> 00:00:21.059 go right on with what you're doing. Keep right 00:00:21.059 --> 00:00:24.300 on washing your dishes, sir. Cleaning the house, 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:27.920 sir. I'll just speak loudly enough so that... 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:32.740 You can keep on working and hear me too. But 00:00:32.740 --> 00:00:37.500 today, we're going to study one of the parables. 00:00:38.979 --> 00:00:44.179 And I'm going to read the first 16 verses of 00:00:44.179 --> 00:00:47.299 the 20th chapter of Matthew. And immediately, 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:52.299 you'll recognize the parable of the laborers 00:00:52.299 --> 00:00:57.479 in the vineyard. For the kingdom of heaven is 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:02.600 like unto a man that is an householder, which 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:05.299 went out early in the morning to hire labors 00:01:05.299 --> 00:01:10.620 into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with 00:01:10.620 --> 00:01:14.920 the labors, now watch, there was an agreement. 00:01:15.900 --> 00:01:21.159 When he had agreed with the labors for a pity 00:01:21.159 --> 00:01:28.299 a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he 00:01:28.299 --> 00:01:31.280 went out about the third hour and saw others 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:34.700 standing idle in the marketplace. And he said 00:01:34.700 --> 00:01:39.120 unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:43.079 whatsoever is right I will give you. And they 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:45.959 went their way. And again he went out about the 00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:50.650 sixth and ninth hour and did likewise. And about 00:01:50.650 --> 00:01:53.349 the eleventh hour he went out and found others 00:01:53.349 --> 00:01:57.349 standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand 00:01:57.349 --> 00:02:02.069 ye here all the day idle? And they said unto 00:02:02.069 --> 00:02:06.629 him, Because no man hath hired us. And he saith 00:02:06.629 --> 00:02:11.229 unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and 00:02:11.229 --> 00:02:17.229 whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So 00:02:17.229 --> 00:02:19.909 when even was come, the lord of the vineyard 00:02:19.909 --> 00:02:25.449 saith unto his steward call the labourers give 00:02:25.449 --> 00:02:30.889 them their hire beginning from the last unto 00:02:30.889 --> 00:02:35.250 the first and when they came that were hired 00:02:35.250 --> 00:02:39.530 about the eleventh hour they received every man 00:02:39.530 --> 00:02:45.409 a penny but when the first came they supposed 00:02:45.409 --> 00:02:48.659 that they should have received more and they 00:02:48.659 --> 00:02:51.219 likewise received every man a penny. And when 00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:54.719 they received it, they murmured against the good 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:59.919 man of the house, saying, These last have wrought 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:04.819 but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto 00:03:04.819 --> 00:03:08.780 us, which have borne the burden and the heat 00:03:08.780 --> 00:03:13.620 of the day. But he answered one of them and said, 00:03:13.819 --> 00:03:22.729 Friend. i do thee no wrong didst not thou agree 00:03:22.729 --> 00:03:30.770 with me for a penny take that thine is go thy 00:03:30.770 --> 00:03:38.169 way i will give unto this lust even as unto thee 00:03:38.169 --> 00:03:42.770 is it not lawful for me to do what i will with 00:03:42.770 --> 00:03:50.819 mine own is thine I evil because I am good? So 00:03:50.819 --> 00:03:57.240 the last shall be first and the first last. For 00:03:57.240 --> 00:04:05.080 many be called, but few chosen. And so here we 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:10.020 have the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:13.800 And I've just read from the 20th chapter of Matthew. 00:04:15.150 --> 00:04:17.509 The first 16 verses of this chapter contain the 00:04:17.509 --> 00:04:22.589 parable. And we ask, what was the subject that 00:04:22.589 --> 00:04:24.430 our Lord intended to illustrate when he made 00:04:24.430 --> 00:04:27.029 use of this parable? There have been many, many 00:04:27.029 --> 00:04:31.310 interpretations of this parable. And let us just 00:04:31.310 --> 00:04:35.829 for a very few minutes see what the Lord was 00:04:35.829 --> 00:04:40.889 trying to say. For no word is ever wasted. Every 00:04:40.889 --> 00:04:45.629 time there was a parable given, Jesus had a reason 00:04:45.629 --> 00:04:51.750 for giving it. To take the parable out of its 00:04:51.750 --> 00:04:56.029 context and to study it alone is absolutely impossible. 00:04:56.310 --> 00:05:00.230 We dare not take a parable or any portion of 00:05:00.230 --> 00:05:03.410 the Word of God or anything that Jesus said or 00:05:03.410 --> 00:05:08.569 did out of the context. We would destroy the 00:05:08.569 --> 00:05:13.310 meaning entirely if we did so. Observe first 00:05:13.310 --> 00:05:18.050 the boundaries of the parable. The final verse 00:05:18.050 --> 00:05:23.269 of this 19th chapter reads, But many shall be 00:05:23.269 --> 00:05:27.589 lost that are first, and first that are last. 00:05:28.730 --> 00:05:32.889 And then the 16th verse of the 20th chapter reads, 00:05:33.149 --> 00:05:36.129 So the lost shall be first and the first last. 00:05:37.629 --> 00:05:43.839 In the first verse, We have the principle of 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:50.399 Jesus. Jesus works on principle. Always know 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:56.939 that. Jesus has a principle. And the sooner that 00:05:56.939 --> 00:06:05.600 you and I realize his principles and work accordingly, 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:12.370 it will be a great day for us. You know, sometimes 00:06:12.370 --> 00:06:15.089 I think principle is so lacking in our generation. 00:06:16.370 --> 00:06:19.569 Honestly, sometimes I think the word principle 00:06:19.569 --> 00:06:24.089 has been completely taken out of our vocabulary 00:06:24.089 --> 00:06:32.310 and our thinking. Until very few men are men 00:06:32.310 --> 00:06:39.629 of real principle. But Jesus is a man of principle. 00:06:40.389 --> 00:06:44.290 And the first verse here, we have the principle 00:06:44.290 --> 00:06:48.389 of Jesus. And in the second, an interpretation 00:06:48.389 --> 00:06:55.230 of that principle. Many shall be lost that are 00:06:55.230 --> 00:06:59.790 first and the first that are last. Watch it. 00:06:59.870 --> 00:07:03.829 We go a little further back and ask, what was... 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:09.300 The occasion for the giving of this principle 00:07:09.300 --> 00:07:13.040 of Jesus. What made him say, many shall be last 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:16.360 that are first and the first that are last? Well, 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:25.639 leave it to Peter. He always spoke where angels 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:32.160 feared to tread. Leave it with Peter. Loudmouth 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:38.379 Peter. But I love him. Oh, I love him, I guess 00:07:38.379 --> 00:07:40.459 it's because he and I have so much in common. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:44.980 We just never had sense enough to keep our mouths 00:07:44.980 --> 00:07:48.560 shut, you know. We always wanted the answer. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:53.680 We were always analyzing it. And instead of keeping 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:57.899 our thoughts to ourselves, we came right out 00:07:57.899 --> 00:08:02.839 and asked why. Oh, how thankful we are for Peter 00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:08.019 and all of his questions. Now watch that 27th 00:08:08.019 --> 00:08:11.060 verse. Then answered Peter and said unto him, 00:08:11.379 --> 00:08:17.240 Lo, we've left all and followed thee. What then 00:08:17.240 --> 00:08:23.259 shall we have? We've left everything. I've left 00:08:23.259 --> 00:08:25.819 all my fishing nets. I've left everything that 00:08:25.819 --> 00:08:29.319 was important to living. I've left the whole 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:33.779 thing. Now tell us, what are we going to get 00:08:33.779 --> 00:08:38.580 out of it? And it was because of that question 00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:42.960 that our Lord used this principle. It was because 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:45.919 of that principle, resulting from that question 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:49.220 that our Lord gave this parable. And so again, 00:08:49.299 --> 00:08:51.500 we must go back a little further. We cannot take 00:08:51.500 --> 00:08:54.480 anything out of its context. So we have to go 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:56.580 back to the story of the young ruler to whom 00:08:56.580 --> 00:08:59.720 Jesus had said, We've got to go back to the young 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:01.820 ruler because that was the reason in the first 00:09:01.820 --> 00:09:05.679 place that Peter asked the question. What do 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:08.500 we have to gain when we have left everything 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:15.679 to follow him? Because, you see, they had heard 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:18.779 the young ruler, the man who had great possession, 00:09:18.980 --> 00:09:24.600 a clean record, a fine temperament. And the young 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:29.000 ruler stood. confronting Jesus. And he had heard 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:35.159 Jesus tell the rich young ruler that he would 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:41.519 have to submit himself to him. And he went away. 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:46.899 He clung to his possessions. And Jesus interpreted 00:09:46.899 --> 00:09:53.460 that as we saw in our previous study. It's hard 00:09:53.460 --> 00:09:57.139 for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:02.460 It is easier, Jesus said, for a camel to go through 00:10:02.460 --> 00:10:04.799 the needle's eye than for a rich man to enter 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:13.700 into the kingdom of God. Now Peter comes forth 00:10:13.700 --> 00:10:19.840 and says, All right, Lord, we have left all. 00:10:21.070 --> 00:10:26.370 and followed thee. What then shall we receive? 00:10:27.690 --> 00:10:36.210 What is to be our gain? Master, thou hast called 00:10:36.210 --> 00:10:40.049 the rich young ruler to sell all to follow thee 00:10:40.049 --> 00:10:45.230 and he's turned his back and gone away. We weren't 00:10:45.230 --> 00:10:50.179 rich but it was everything that we had. You see, 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:57.220 it wasn't the amount. It was the responsibility 00:10:57.220 --> 00:11:04.960 of giving all of that which they had. For Peter 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:09.759 to have given up that which he surrendered when 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:13.919 Jesus said, come and follow me, was just as much 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:19.720 to him, meant just as much to Peter. As the rich 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:28.559 man's richest. Mm -hmm. So Peter says, what's 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:33.460 the use? What shall we gain? And the Lord gave 00:11:33.460 --> 00:11:36.460 him a wonderful answer to that question. Verily 00:11:36.460 --> 00:11:39.240 I say unto you, that ye which have followed me 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:43.120 in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:47.440 sit on the throne of his glory. And he was looking 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:49.779 on to something in the future and telling them 00:11:49.779 --> 00:11:54.480 what they would gain in that future order that 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:57.419 should be set up. They would gain authority as 00:11:57.419 --> 00:12:00.259 his administrators in that kingdom. And not only 00:12:00.259 --> 00:12:04.000 so, but everyone that hath like houses or brethren 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:06.820 or sisters or father or mother or children or 00:12:06.820 --> 00:12:11.340 land, for my sakes, shall receive a hundredfold 00:12:11.340 --> 00:12:18.779 and shall inherit eternal life. The reward is 00:12:18.779 --> 00:12:24.000 not just the reward that we receive today. Now. 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:30.740 No God does not make full settlement in January. 00:12:33.340 --> 00:12:37.279 Oh, that's a wonderful answer, that of Jesus. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:44.340 They would gain authority, friendship, eternal 00:12:44.340 --> 00:12:49.399 life. But do not forget that many shall be lost 00:12:49.399 --> 00:12:53.100 that are first and first that are last. And so 00:12:53.100 --> 00:12:55.460 the Lord first answered that question of Peter's, 00:12:55.480 --> 00:13:02.200 and then he uttered that word of warning. Service 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:11.340 and its reward. And that's just the heart of 00:13:11.340 --> 00:13:18.840 this parable, the labors in the vineyard. service 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:26.019 unto him and the reward for that service. Not 00:13:26.019 --> 00:13:29.700 as considered the parable, the figure. First, 00:13:29.740 --> 00:13:33.259 it's a man who is a householder and who has a 00:13:33.259 --> 00:13:39.440 vineyard. It's his vineyard. It's his property. 00:13:40.179 --> 00:13:44.350 Never lose sight of it. Notice carefully that 00:13:44.350 --> 00:13:46.730 the picture the Lord draws here is of a man with 00:13:46.730 --> 00:13:51.009 a vineyard, his property. He hired laborers to 00:13:51.009 --> 00:13:55.490 do his work in his vineyard. It's interesting 00:13:55.490 --> 00:14:00.909 here that the Lord took a day, 12 hours. Are 00:14:00.909 --> 00:14:07.029 there not 12 hours in the day? Here they are. 00:14:08.269 --> 00:14:12.269 He went out early. At the third, the sixth, the 00:14:12.269 --> 00:14:16.970 ninth, the eleventh hours, the owner, the master, 00:14:17.129 --> 00:14:20.809 he went out and hired the laborers at these intervals 00:14:20.809 --> 00:14:25.629 during the day. They were all called by the master. 00:14:26.570 --> 00:14:29.809 And there's no word in this parable of men asking 00:14:29.809 --> 00:14:34.490 for work. The laborers were not seeking work. 00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:38.100 They were outside the vineyard, but he called 00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:43.919 them inside and set them to work. And they all 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:46.720 came in when he called them. Many were called 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:49.539 early. They went in and worked. At the third 00:14:49.539 --> 00:14:52.419 hour, others went in. At the sixth, the ninth, 00:14:52.500 --> 00:14:59.480 the eleventh hours. When he called them in, not 00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:03.460 one refused. There's not a word here that... 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:09.240 tells us that one refused. They came in when 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:13.279 they were called. It's an eastern picture of 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:15.240 a householder, a vineyard, a work to be done 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:17.840 in a vineyard. He went out. The laborers went 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:20.840 into work when they were called. They did not 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:25.480 ask to go. They agreed for a penny. There was 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:28.320 an agreement. It was a bargain. It was the contract. 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:32.350 There was principle involved. And then the day 00:15:32.350 --> 00:15:36.110 closed after the 11th hour, and the last hired 00:15:36.110 --> 00:15:40.590 did one day's work, just one day only. But he 00:15:40.590 --> 00:15:45.929 was faithful in the work that he did in that 00:15:45.929 --> 00:15:51.509 one hour. He was just as faithful in that one 00:15:51.509 --> 00:15:56.230 hour of work as the one who had done five hours 00:15:56.230 --> 00:16:02.450 of work or eight hours of work. Having agreed 00:16:02.450 --> 00:16:06.330 with the first, he paid the workers according 00:16:06.330 --> 00:16:10.470 to the agreement. We're not told that he made 00:16:10.470 --> 00:16:14.850 any agreement differently from the first than 00:16:14.850 --> 00:16:18.809 the last. The agreement was the same with the 00:16:18.809 --> 00:16:23.389 last that was hired as the first, and he paid 00:16:23.389 --> 00:16:26.129 them according to his own will. He gave every 00:16:26.129 --> 00:16:35.879 man a penny only. also gave a penny because he 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:41.440 was faithful. Of course, in the natural, we can 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.759 understand the murmuring. But if we also were 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:47.559 inclined to murmur the story, it's because we 00:16:47.559 --> 00:16:49.460 have not yet caught the real significance of 00:16:49.460 --> 00:16:51.720 the parable or what Jesus was intending to teach. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:55.240 First... Of all, the master dealt with the last 00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:59.519 man as unto the first. The first supposed that 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:02.019 they would receive more, and they likewise received 00:17:02.019 --> 00:17:05.500 every man a penny. We agree that a bargain is 00:17:05.500 --> 00:17:08.920 to be kept, a contract is sacred. If you agree 00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:12.700 with me for a penny, if justice is done, have 00:17:12.700 --> 00:17:16.319 you any right to object to my generosity? Has 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:19.019 not this man a right to do what he wills with 00:17:19.019 --> 00:17:23.720 his own? It's his vineyard. He's the master. 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:28.339 That is the only question that arises as to whether 00:17:28.339 --> 00:17:31.359 this householder had a right to do what he liked 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:38.019 with his own. And the implication, the question 00:17:38.019 --> 00:17:46.980 of Jesus was that he had such a right. Yet the 00:17:46.980 --> 00:17:49.259 teaching of the parable shows that the right 00:17:49.259 --> 00:17:52.910 is invested in something else. And so we come 00:17:52.910 --> 00:17:59.069 to that teaching. It must be found in the strict 00:17:59.069 --> 00:18:04.009 limits of the context. Now remember, there is 00:18:04.009 --> 00:18:07.869 no question of salvation here whatsoever. It 00:18:07.869 --> 00:18:13.190 is wholly one of service. I want you to see something. 00:18:14.009 --> 00:18:20.750 Those who were called were not just lazy loiters. 00:18:22.890 --> 00:18:24.950 They all entered the vineyard when they were 00:18:24.950 --> 00:18:34.089 called. Get that. You must see that. That's the 00:18:34.089 --> 00:18:38.089 whole meaning of the parable. That fellow who 00:18:38.089 --> 00:18:40.069 went in at the eleventh hour never had a chance 00:18:40.069 --> 00:18:44.230 before. He had not been called before. But when 00:18:44.230 --> 00:18:47.029 sent, he went in, was paid on the basis of the 00:18:47.029 --> 00:18:50.440 fact that for one hour he was faithful. The man 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:53.440 who went in early had served through all the 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:56.279 burden and the heat of the day and was faithful 00:18:56.279 --> 00:19:02.480 to his work. The parable therefore illustrated 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:08.319 the payment of reward to loyalty, fidelity of 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:11.440 opportunity. It does not mean that if a man has 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:16.880 an opportunity and does not take it and wastes 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:19.789 the fleeting hours of his life, then he'll get 00:19:19.789 --> 00:19:21.970 the same reward as the man who has toiled through 00:19:21.970 --> 00:19:26.089 all the live long day. No, ma 'am. Our Lord was 00:19:26.089 --> 00:19:30.369 simply emphasizing this one matter, fidelity 00:19:30.369 --> 00:19:38.769 to opportunity. I was called young in life. I 00:19:38.769 --> 00:19:45.420 do not believe that when my life... is over with 00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:47.480 and I will have preached my last sermon and lived 00:19:47.480 --> 00:19:52.259 my last day here on earth, that my reward will 00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:57.599 be any greater than that one who may be called 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:04.779 in this last day. God may this very hour call 00:20:04.779 --> 00:20:12.119 some man, some woman into his vineyard. And say, 00:20:12.200 --> 00:20:15.460 I've got a great work for you in this last hour 00:20:15.460 --> 00:20:19.180 before the great catching up. And if that one 00:20:19.180 --> 00:20:23.819 in this last hour will be true and faithful, 00:20:24.119 --> 00:20:29.940 sacrificing all, giving everything that he has 00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:32.799 in the carrying out of God's purpose and plan 00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:36.740 in this last hour, that one's reward will be 00:20:36.740 --> 00:20:40.299 just as great as the reward that I might... have 00:20:40.299 --> 00:20:44.180 received for having given my entire life into 00:20:44.180 --> 00:20:53.819 service. Sure. I've had a wonderful life. My 00:20:53.819 --> 00:20:57.359 whole life. One of great satisfaction knowing 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:00.160 that I have spent it in the will of God. If you 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:02.559 want to know something, that in itself is the 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:09.220 greatest reward that I could ask. In that, I 00:21:09.220 --> 00:21:15.130 have had even a greater reward than the man who 00:21:15.130 --> 00:21:19.990 is giving just the last hour of service to him. 00:21:21.890 --> 00:21:27.490 Mm -hmm. Has he called you into the vineyard? 00:21:30.430 --> 00:21:36.609 If he has only one thing ought to fill your mind, 00:21:36.650 --> 00:21:43.680 your heart, your thinking. Be true. Do that job 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:56.640 well. Do it well. Great shall be the reward in 00:21:56.640 --> 00:22:02.460 knowing you have given him your best, even in 00:22:02.460 --> 00:22:04.380 the last hour.