PAID BY WILLINGNESS, NOT BY THE HOUR
MF Blume
August 30, 2015
Matthew 20:1-16 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that
is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire
labourers into his vineyard. (2) And when he had agreed
with the labourers for a penny 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 unto
them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give
you. And they went their way. (5) Again he went out about
the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. (6) And about
the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and
saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? (7)
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go
ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye
receive. (8) So when even was come, the lord of the
vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them
their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. (9) And
when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received
every man a penny. (10) But when the first came, they
supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise
received every man a penny. (11) And when they had received
it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, (12)
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them
equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
(13) But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no
wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? (14) Take
that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto
thee. (15) Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with
mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? (16) So the
last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few
chosen.
Last week we spoke about the hours when Jews, and Gentiles were first saved in the book of Acts.
Acts 2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
Acts 10:9-12 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and
drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about
the sixth hour: (10) And he became very hungry, and would
have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
(11) And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto
him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let
down to the earth: (12) Wherein were all manner of
fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things,
and fowls of the air.
Acts 10:30-32 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting
until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and,
behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, (31) And
said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in
remembrance in the sight of God. (32) Send therefore to
Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in
the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh,
shall speak unto thee.
And Jesus died with these hours on the cross.
Mark 15:25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
Mark 15:33-34 And when the sixth hour was come, there was
darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. (34) And
at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi,
lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me? Mark 15:37 And Jesus cried with a loud
voice, and gave up the ghost.
The same hours of the cross were the hours men were hired to work… PLUS THE ELEVENTH HOUR.
The whole point of the parable was about THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST AND THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST.
Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good
Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
A rich young ruler wanted to know what GOOD DEED he had to do to EARN HEAVEN.
Matthew 19:18-22 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt
do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal,
Thou shalt not bear false witness, (19) Honour thy father
and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
(20) The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept
from my youth up: what lack I yet? (21) Jesus said unto
him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to
the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow
me. (22) But when the young man heard that saying, he went
away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
The man could not let go of his wealth.
He was great!
• He earned a whole lot!
• He was FIRST!
• Everyone honoured him for his work and wealth he earned.
• Jesus said it’s hard for a man like that to let go.
• And he was told it was not the good deeds he did to earn eternal life.
• It was letting go of the attitude of making
himself great, which he was doing with the ten commandments.
• Keep the commandments, but not be lift
yourself up in pride making people think you are so good to earn heaven.
• Keep them with the humility that makes you great.
• TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS AND LET GO OF WHAT
MAKES YOU GREAT TO PEOPLE WILL REMOVE THE PRIDE YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT
MAKES YOU KEEP COMMANDMENTS TO LOOK GREAT TO OTHERS.
• We must do what’s right.
• But not to brag how good we are and lift ourselves up.
• It’s to do good because good is simply right.
Matthew 19:23-24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say
unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of
heaven. (24) And again I say unto you, It is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of God.
After Jesus stressed FORSAKE YOUR WEALTH AND FOLLOW, Peter spoke up.
Matthew 19:27-30 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold,
we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have
therefore? (28) And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto
you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son
of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (29)
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or
father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake,
shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
(30) But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be
first.
That is the end of chapter 19 and then chapter 20 is about the
labourers in the field, and also ends with verse 16 saying the same
thing.
Matthew 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Few are chosen because not everyone who is called FOLLOWS.
Notice Jesus told Peter IN THE REGENERATION they would sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the
washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Regeneration is associated with HIS MERCY saving us and NOT OUR WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
• THAT is the regeneration Jesus referred to.
• The regeneration of the Holy Ghost era when
people are born again is the time the twelve tribes are SITTING ON
THRONES, because the CHURCH OBEYS THE DOCTRINE OF THE APOSTLES.
• It’s some other regeneration because his
whole point with Peter and the rich young ruler is we LET GO OF OUR
WORKS that exalt US, and WORK TO EXALT JESUS!
And it uses the hours of the cross because THE CROSS IS THE WORK OF JESUS THAT SAVED US, NOT OUR WORK.
• We’re paid for abandoning What makes US
GREAT – like thinking we can earn heaven by being good enough.
• We abandon what makes us better than anyone else.
• What makes us great.
• We follow Jesus to focus on making Him great.
• And too many people won’t do that.
• They’re too proud!
• They use CHURCH to exalt themselves in pride.
Eleventh hour is two hours after Jesus died.
• One hour left for the work day.
• Just to show us that even if you only did ONE
HOUR, it’s not PAY BY THE HOUR, it’s PAY for your
willingness to DO GOD’S WILL.
• If you did all you knew as soon as you knew to
do it, no matter if you only had one hour to do it, you will get paid
the same as someone who knew to do good 8 hours earlier and did it for
8 hours.
• It’s whether or not YOU ARE WILLING TO DO WHAT HE ASKS.
He purposely took the last and paid them first to emphasize it’s not YOUR WORK that exalts you and pays you.
• It’s as far away from YOUR work as you can get.
• It’s letting go of YOUR WORK so much that you seek to exalt HIM AND NOT YOURSELF.
• Most do good work to lift themselves up.
• Sing to exalt self and use church to feel superior and great.
• NOT TO LIFT UP JESUS!
Matthew 4:18-22 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two
brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net
into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me,
and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their
nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two
brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship
with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And
they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
3rd hour
Acts 2:40-41 And with many other words did he testify and exhort,
saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. (41)
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day
there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
6th hour
Acts 10:19-21 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said
unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. (20) Arise
therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I
have sent them. (21) Then Peter went down to the men which
were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye
seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
9th hour
Acts 10:7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was
departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier
of them that waited on him continually;
They all did what they were told immediately.
How IMMEDIATE do you move to do HIS WILL?
• Do you hesitate?
Matthew 20:10-12 But when the first came, they supposed that they
should have received more; and they likewise received every man a
penny. (11) And when they had received it, they murmured
against the goodman of the house, (12) Saying, These last
have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which
have borne the burden and heat of the day.
The first people were the JEWS.
• They said the ones at the last hour were made EQUAL TO THEM.
• Jesus said that’s right!
• And the eleventh hour were further away from
the first who came the 3rd hour than those at the 6th and 9th!
• Not only are gentiles who came in in Acts
10’s 9th hour as equal as the Jews in the 3rd hour, but those
further away from the Jews as can be, ONE HOUR LEFT – you
can’t get a later hour, it’s the last one – are as
equal!
It’s not how long you’ve served God.
• The race is not to the swiftest!
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the
race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet
bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet
favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
You won’t win by doing anything that makes you look better than another.
• Just doing what He said makes you winners.
• He removed all out that makes you better than anyone else.