Welcome to the Further Gospel Podcast where we provide sound doctrine for everyday people. I'm your host, Costi Hinn, and I want to welcome our listeners on Apple and Spotify, and those of you enjoying this on our YouTube video podcast format. On today's episode, we're picking up from last time in our series on the parables with one that will challenge those of us who see what God does. And we might say, you know, that's not fair. Or we may have an air of kind of self-righteousness or elitism about us. Not so much in relation to the parable of the Pharisee and the publican, the tax collector, which we talked about in previous episodes. But in the relation to timing is what I'm talking about. Timing. You're going to see what I mean. I don't want to give it away yet. But if you have your Bible, turn to Matthew 20, verse 1. That's where we're going to be, Matthew 20, verse 1. I'm reading from the NASB. And if you want to hit pause and go grab your Bible, you can do that, or you can follow along with the passage in the video version of this podcast, since we have that up on the screen for you, along with all of the key points. And if you're in the gym or on a run, if you're driving, doing housework, whatever, I'll read the parable and walk you through everything. Let me set this up a little bit. This is the parable of the vineyard workers, or maybe your Bible will have the header laborers in the vineyard in Matthew chapter 20. There's a landowner, he's hired laborers, he agrees to a wage with them, and how things end lead to a big lesson from Christ. In the context of the passage, Jesus is pushing a key truth that the first will be last and the last shall be first. You don't want to miss that. He not only says it in the verse leading up to the parable I'm going to deal with, but he says it at the close of this actual parable. So don't overlook that. Circle it, underline it, mark it. In addition to that clue, the topic of the disciples and their reward comes up in the verses prior. Jesus says this. And so, yes, I'm going to deal with the parable in Matthew 20, but if you've got your Bible, just peek back several verses prior to chapter 20. This is chapter 19, verses 27 to 30. Again, if you're following along without your Bible, don't worry, it's on the screen. If you have your Bible, take a peek at this with me. Matthew 19, verses 27 to 30. Then Peter said to him, Behold, we have left everything and we followed you. What then will there be for us? All right, so Peter, always blunt, wants to know, hey, what do we get out of this? And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that you have followed me in the regeneration. When the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my name's sake. So it's a lot of sacrifice. Family relationships, assets, farms, all that, will receive many times as much and will inherit eternal life. Then he says this in verse 30, but many who are first will be last, and the last first. Okay, really, really important. That passage immediately makes me think of one of our family's favorite missionaries as Jesus flows right out of Peter's question and his answer into this parable. But Jim Elliott, one of my favorites, he says, he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. I'll tell you that again. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jim Elliott died trying to reach the Alka Indians, and that event actually led to them being reached in the years that followed his death. Jim Elliott was willing to give up what he couldn't keep anyway. He couldn't keep his life, he couldn't keep his assets, he couldn't keep anything, but he knew he would gain what he could not lose by being faithful to live for the Lord. I think of Henry Martin. He's a missionary I was studying recently. He actually came up in a sermon that I was talking about not long ago at Shepherd's House, and he was a highly touted mathematician. He was given the top award at Cambridge in his day, and he had a full life ahead of him, and yet he was still empty. He came up in my mind as I was uh preaching through the Beatitudes and thinking about the blessing on those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. They're going to be full. Well, eventually he becomes a missionary at twenty-four years old. He was empty having accomplished so much at Cambridge and now goes to become a missionary, and he finds his calling and his purpose in life. By 31, he's dead, but not before translating the New Testament into three languages so it could reach people that he longed to reach. And some people would say, what a waste of a life. Many in this world would say he didn't fill up his years, but that all depends on how you define the fullness and life and purpose. Well, for believers, we're those who follow Jesus. No matter the cost, we trust the Lord, no matter the sacrifices that we make, and anything we do sacrifice here on earth pales in comparison to the rewards he has for us in glory, eternity with him being the greatest reward of all. So I want to set all of that up for you because verses 27 to 30 in Matthew 19 flow into Matthew chapter 20. Let me offer you this as well to get those chains moving in your mind. Leon Morris offers some sobering commentary on the text leading into our parable. He says this those who are highly esteemed and held to be first in this world's order of things will end up last in the worst possible position. The point is that they have put their whole effort into earthly success without reference to the more worthwhile life of service to which Christ is calling them. Inevitably, when the time comes, that earthly success is seen for toddry and temporal as the thing that it is. They will rank with the last. That is what they have qualified for, and that is where they will be. He goes on to say the corollary of that is that those who are last here and now will often be found to be among the first in the life to come. They have not accepted the false values of this world, but have set their sights on the service of God and of their fellows, no matter what the cost to themselves, and they reap the consequences accordingly. He goes on to finally say, The words, talking about the words of Christ, are a strong warning against being deluded by earthly ideas and standards, and shutting one's ears to the call of God. From that we flow into our parable of the vineyard workers. Let me read to you, Matthew twenty, verses one to sixteen. Jesus says, For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. And to those he said, You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I'll give you. And so they went. Verse five. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, Why have you been standing here idle all day long? They said to him, Because no one hired us. He said to them, You go into the vineyard too. When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first. When those who had been hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. When those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day. But he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I'm doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go. But 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 what I own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous? Oh, that's a good line. Let me read that again from the Lord in this parable. Or is your eye envious because I am generous? So the last shall be first and the first last. Let me break this down for you, and hopefully, this will both encourage and challenge you as you think about what all of this means. First, some observations. The theme is the first shall be last and the last will be first. We know that, I've said it already. It leads into this parable, and it is the ending point of this parable. Matthew writes his gospel with intentionality. He weaves themes throughout it. That's the case here. Jesus is teaching his disciples a key principle, and then he adds this illustration, this parable to frame that up. So you can't leave that out of your interpretive framework. And then at the same time, Jesus adds an important lesson to it, lest the disciples get a sense of entitlement, much like some Christians could today. So that's the first observation. The second is this is a common illustration in that day. A landowner looking for day laborers, pretty normal. He agrees to a wage, and that was that. Third observation: the landowner decided on more workers. For whatever reason, the landowner sought out more workers. He did this at different intervals throughout the day. The parable mentions that multiple times. Whatever the reason was, that's a key observation we should make. Number four, the workers had agreed to the work and the pay. There's no surprise. They're all told, go to the vineyard. They know what they're going to do. And they're all given either what they're going to be paid, or in the case of the subsequent group, the landowner just says, I'll give to you what is right. They agree, all good. A denarius for the day for the first group, pretty standard at that time. And then for the others, verse four, whatever's right, I'll pay you. So all seems fair in terms of how the landowner will go about getting the workers. The work is not surprising, and the wage is agreeable. Kind of fun observations to make as you kind of see all the details. And then, fifth, regardless of timing, all the wages are the same. That's really plain to see. It unpacks and unfolds right in front of us in the parable. And even at the 11th hour, verses six to nine, let me read this to you in Matthew chapter 20, and you'll kind of see how all of this lands. And about the 11th hour, he went out, he found others, says, Why are you standing here idle? They go, because no one hired us. He goes, Go to the vineyard. And when evening came, he calls them all forward to be paid. When those hired about the 11th hour, verse 9, each one received a denarius. So that's kind of your clue. Everybody got the same thing. And then he brings out the other ones and they receive the exact same thing. Now, this is where our sixth observation comes in. There's a dispute over the landowner's decision. In verse 9, they came at the 11th hour, they got a denarius. Well, the ones in verse 10, they're pretty fired up because look at what they do. They say, Hey, look, we got a denarius. Verse 11, they grumble. Verse 10, they get it. Verse 11, they grumble. And their issue is we were under the burning sun. We worked all day. These guys, they show up, they only worked an hour, and you've made everybody equal to us. That's an important observation because that flows right into the seventh observation I want to put in front of you. The landowner explains it's his prerogative to do as he pleases. The workers cry foul, they cry unfair, but the landowner, the landowner points to some simple truths. You agree to the wage, I've done nothing wrong, he says, and then I can do what I want with what I own. My generosity is not controlled by your opinion. Where am I getting that from? Well, look at the verses where he explains. In verse 13, friend, I'm doing you no wrong. You agreed with me to a denarius, did you not? Take what's yours and go. I wish to give to this last man the same as you. It's lawful for me, is it not, to do what I wish with what I own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous? If you're thinking about this parable in spiritual terms, you can already see the interpretation emerging in some way. And I want to give you three applications to consider here. Number one, timing doesn't necessarily relate to spiritual merit. Remember, the disciples are giving a lot up. They're sacrificing, they're early in the game, if you will, and they're giving up everything. Jesus says, Yeah, you're gonna rule on the 12 thrones, you're gonna judge the 12 tribes, you're gonna have way more if you gave up house, mother, father, farm, all of it, you're gonna have way more and eternal life. Hey, great. But then he goes on to say the first shall be last, the last shall be first, and then he tells this parable. Think about this for a second. At nearly every stage of life, timing merits reward. Timing merits reward. Meaning, hey, you train, you pay your dues, you get a reward. And that's not a bad thing. There's a principle of maturity in training here, and it happens when we get more experience. Those who played a sport longer, they're respected as veterans. Those who have practiced law at a high level for longer, they're made partner. How long or how hard somebody has worked contributes to the merit in our earthly systems. And honestly, that's not a bad thing. It's kind of a biblical thing, too. Think about what Paul tells Timothy find proven, tested, faithful men. That's good. Definitely we want to test men. There should be a merit to the length of time and their faithfulness. There's plenty of fast track types in the church today. It's a good principle. However, we need to be so careful to overapply it to the spiritual status of people. Merit that way, not a good thing, not biblical. And we do this in churches to our peril. People who have been saved longer may look down on those who have been saved for less time, but they're growing faster, almost annoyed. Like, you know, well, who do they think they are? They haven't been a Christian as long as me. I know they're they're growing, I know they're maturing, I know they're serving, and I know they're zealous, but you know, calm down. I've been a Christian for 25 years. Or people don't like it when someone who is saved later begins to be used by God to a degree in ministry that they now lead those who they used to trail behind. The parable of the vineyard workers kind of messes with the human tendency because the landover, landowner pays everyone the same, though some came late and some were early. All were honored according to the agreement. Some worked shorter, some longer, some were basically sweatier, and others barely broke a sweat. But the landowner saw them all the same way. They're workers, they're brought into the vineyard, they're paid equally. What was this? This was a warning to the disciples in some way because Jesus had just said, You're going to be rewarded. But he also is warning them. Morris is again helpful here. He says, This shows plainly that Matthew intends the parable to underline the point he just made. With the new parable, then, we should probably see a continuing reference to the problems associated with Peter's question back in verse 27. Peter and the rest of the twelve had indeed left all for Christ, but they must not think that their priority in time gives them an overwhelming advantage. I like that. It's a reminder. Yes, people should pay their dues for certain things in life, but be very careful applying your merit principle to spiritual things. Timing does not necessarily equal merit. One of the best examples, the thief on the cross. Number two, God's grace is his prerogative, friends. That's so clear in the parable. Like the Pharisees, many people today think they've got a special in with God and they act with a kind of spiritual snobbery when others are brought into the fold. I remember one church I was at, they were suspect of every new person who came in. I used to think, do you want to grow by way of evangelism? Like, can anyone come into the fold? And it was like, oh, let's be suspect of everyone. You know, we're not sure about them. It's like how opposite of the way we should be thinking. And we have this spiritual holy huddle, not in a good way, like the church is to be uh separate from the world in its holy huddle, not like that, but in a negative way, in which where it's just us and nobody else can come in. I think we kind of have this little God complex where we, according to our grade rather than God's grace, measure people out. The Jews had that problem with the Gentiles, and God shows them a better way. Time and time and time again, Jesus is teaching strong lessons about the Pharisaic mentality where we try to play God, we dish out grace as we see fit. And in acting like that, we can be so graceless. I think this happens often in our churches when new believers or messy ones or untaught ones, kind of late in the game, so to speak, ones, people who are different than us, they threaten our prideful and exclusive church culture. We actually see ourselves as spiritual elitists, even though we would never dare admit that. We act that way. We may see somebody who gets saved and they've got a checkered past, and we think, you know, oh, well, that's great, but you know, they'll never be on my level. And then God grows them or uses them in the church, and people get annoyed or jealous, and they get rattled, thinking, you know, I've been saved longer. How is it that they're making this impact? And people love kind of to suppress those type of things because we are naturally fleshly elitist. We measure things that way instead of just being grateful that God is gracious to everyone. It's his prerogative to save and to use people. And guess what? You know, no amounting of no amount of kicking and screaming from the Pharisees is going to change that. I've experienced this in my life. I'm sure you have. I remember one situation where one of those kind of spiritual snob types came to me. The Lord had started to grow our ministry out of his kindness. We were just happy to have a church plant and a resource ministry, like for the gospel, to serve people. I mean, it was fun, it still is, to just be helpful. It's all grace upon grace. I feel like I'm walking on air every day, undeserved, off the charts. And this man comes up to me with a real attitude and he says to me, you know, just remember, I was well into ministry before you were even saved. And he sort of propped himself up like I was supposed to bow and, you know, kiss the ring and be very, very in awe of who he was and his ministry and all these things. And I just was like, that's awesome. Praise God. I'm just, I'm just happy to be a runt in the litter. I'm happy to be late in the game. I'm happy to take the bottom seat. I'm happy to be a nobody. And, you know, that kind of spiritual elitism, God bless you. You know, you probably should repent of it and steer away from it. But in the end, I like my odds and your odds if people sort of think we're that. I love that. I love the guy who's kind of tattooed up or the gal who had a kid out of wedlock, and everyone's sort of like, whoa, let's just kind of shuffle them over to the corner of the church. They can be here, but I mean, God forbid, say he actually used them and they they start growing and doing a lot. I mean, we're not, you know, we you have to be a certain way now in the church. I love the underdog. It's so fun. Why? Because that's when God shows himself. Last week was kind of fun. I had this moment, it was humbling. It reminded me like, hey, I'm just a guy, and some people sometimes don't like me. I was at this conference in Washington, a guy came up to me really kind, said, Hey, I'm glad to be here. It's been really enjoyable. The teaching's been good. Love the fellowship. Um, you know, wish my wife was here, but she wouldn't come because she's got a real problem with your last name still. And but I'm glad you're here, man. Keep going. And I shook his hand, said hey, and it was just one of those great moments where I was like, okay, like a woman didn't want to come here teaching on the Holy Spirit and fellowship and just hang out because my last name, if she's still mad, you probably have your own stories. I remember recently somebody having a problem with somebody who had tattoos and that, you know, because someone didn't look like the cookie cutter. And look, I'm really excited for people, okay, who have not had checkered pasts and they haven't sinned as much. They didn't grow up with uh, you know, heretical family members and ascribe to a false gospel. They got saved at Iwana at eight years old, they got baptized at 16 or sooner, they got married a virgin, they have two and a half children, a white picket fence, and they're serving the Lord. I'm not down on that. I love that. Praise God. I hope we all have children who don't have testimonies, right? That's kind of one of the things I often say. Like when people are like, man, I don't have a testimony. I'm not cool. I'm like, no, no, praise God. You you don't, everyone has a testimony that we were sinners and Christ is our savior, but maybe, maybe we don't all need to have one of those kinds of testimonies. Praise God for that. However, might it be that we take great care in being careful of the mentality of some believers in the body of Christ with that attitude? That, you know, we are in charge of the ranking system. We decide who based on how they look and how they are, based on how their past is and what we say is and isn't. Be so careful, friends. Do people need to be faithful? Yes. Do people need to be proven over time? Absolutely. However, be careful ranking people who come late to the party according to your system. When we see in a parable, God's prerogative to pour out grace on people, to use them, we should just cheer. When faithful brothers and sisters are saved, they're entering the vineyard, they're working, and God's rewarding it. I love what a farmer buddy of mine says. It's always the farmers, blue collar, humble guys. He goes, the foot of the cross is level ground. He always says that. And I love that attitude. I don't care what your past is, I don't care what baggage you come with, don't even care how you look, really. At the end of the day, what matters is your heart. And what changes on the inside will produce change on the outside. And yes, there are. Aspects of modesty and humility and faithfulness and provenness that everybody, yes and amen, should hold to. But be careful that you don't create a way of being that has no attachment to the way God selects. It's his prerogative to pour out grace. Don't be a Pharisee in your own way, and I'll guard my heart against the same approach. Third, the what matters more than the when. Okay, I want everybody to be saved. That's the what. Yes and amen. I would prefer if people get saved sooner than later. But many people in the body of Christ, perhaps even you, live with a lot of guilt and shame over being the late spiritual bloomer. The parable of the talents is sorry, the parable of the vineyard workers, I'm jumping ahead. The parable of the vineyard workers reminds us that God rewards us all with the glory of salvation, entrance into the kingdom, and the title, Child of God, no matter when we got saved. The most important thing is that we got saved. And if you feel like a second-class citizen because you came to the vineyard later than others, fear not. God's spiritual payday credits the same righteousness to your account, and he does that to every other true believer. Number four, human ranking systems don't apply to God's economy. I want to press this further. I touched on it a little bit in one of the last points, but the first will be last. The last will be first, period. Don't ever forget that. This fleeting world is filled with people who have it twisted. Jesus comes into the world and He prevents He presents a divine paradigm. God sees the heart. He saves his people and he rewards his people. Do not buy into human ranking systems. Trust God's economy. What a great reminder. It doesn't matter if you came early to the party and you're so sacrificial. It doesn't mean that you're better than anyone else. Doesn't matter if you came late to the party. You don't feel like you put a lot of skin in the game yet. You kind of feel behind. God's not looking at you as a less than. Salvation is equally distributed. God's inheritance to his children, the title of child, son, daughter, equally stamped on all who place their faith in Jesus Christ. I pray that the Holy Spirit will help you apply this parable to your own unique life stage and situation, and that we would all take heart, the timeless truths in it. Next time we're looking at the parable of the Good Samaritan and how many who seem to keep the law on the outside lack a heart that reflects God on the inside. Thanks for listening, for watching, and for supporting our ministry here at For the Gospel. For more information or to partner with us, you can go to forthegospel.org and be sure to subscribe on YouTube for free video teachings every week and daily encouragement on social media. We're on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter or X. And we're also on Threads for encouraging resources every day. Be sure to follow our accounts on social media and share these resources with people who need the gospel and the hope of Christ. I'll be back next Monday with another episode.