Laborers In The Vineyard
Parables In The New Testament • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
We continue our third Sunday series on “Parables In The New Testament” by looking at a little less familiar parable found in Matthew 20:1-16.
I don’t mean to say we are not aware of this one, because most likely everyone here is, but that it doesn’t get taught as much as some of the more well known ones like the “Sower and the Seed.”
In this parable, often titled “Laborers In The Vineyard” we read…
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’
5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’
9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’
13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Though we could spend a long while studying and discussing all the great lessons from this parable, this afternoon we will take just a moment to examine the core principle of such.
That core principle begins with…
Grace Is Not Earned
Grace Is Not Earned
Some Worked Longer Than Others
Some Worked Longer Than Others
Some laborers worked all day long while others work only for a moment yet they all received the same reward.
Why, because grace or salvation is not earned through human merit but godly obedience.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Summary
Summary
We as humans have all sinned (Romans 3:28) and because of such no one is able to “earn grace.”
It doesn’t matter how hard we work, if we are doing so to deserve our salvation.
10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.”
The core principle continues with…
Grace Is Distributed Equally
Grace Is Distributed Equally
The Pay Was The Same For All
The Pay Was The Same For All
Again even though they all worked different hours of the day, some many more than others, they all received the same pay, a denarius.
This teaches us that God’s grace is not just for those that heard the gospel first but for any and every person.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people
11 For God shows no partiality.
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Summary
Summary
Thankfully for all of us it doesn’t matter when we hear the gospel call and obey as long as we hear and obey!!!!
Conclusion
Conclusion
It’s hard to believe that anyone would think they deserve a greater place in heaven because they labored longer or suffered more than someone else.
This mindset could only lead to one not actually wanting to teach the lost, for their own benefit.
Thankfully we have a God who offers salvation freely, through faith, to all those willing to come to him, through his word.
What a blessing it is to know, for all those we love who have yet to obey the gospel, that God will offer it until the last moment possible.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
