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.



SERMONS