Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 28. Proverbs 28. Let's look at one verse of scripture.
Verse 19. The scripture declares, he that
tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread. He that followeth after
vain persons shall have poverty enough. Now, from this parable,
we know that the scriptures declare that there's a work that is to
be done. We know that. And it comes with
a promised reward. of good. He that tilleth his
land shall have plenty of bread. But also the scripture states
that there's a reward of being destitute or running after that which cannot
provide that which has been falsely It says, but he that followeth
after vain persons is in italics there and shall have poverty. Now, let's
consider this verse of scripture for just a moment. The only way
we can consider it rightly, and that is in the light of the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing that all scripture, now
if we just want to just talk about hard working man and somebody
goes out and does his job and he's doing a good job and he's
going to produce some fruit and he's going to have, if that's
all that it is, then we're done. We're done. But as this is concerning
the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, May the Lord give us some understanding. He that tilleth his land shall
have plenty of bread. He that has his work faithfully
done. Now I say faithfully done because
looking up this word, tilleth. When you look at that word, you
look it up, and this is what it actually means, labor, work,
or to do work. but it also describes in the
definition the worker's attitude. One who serves. It's a work,
but one who works for another, serves another by labor, and
serves as a subject. Not just going out there and
working, but one that does it as a servant, a willing servant. Servant, that's what he's talking
about. That one who is telling, the servant who is telling, knowing
that the definition means servant, I could not help but think Romans
1, 1. Paul just brought this up last
week. A servant of Jesus Christ. James 1, 1. James, a servant
of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1.1, Simon Peter,
a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Jude 1.1, Jude, the servant
of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to them that are sanctified
by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus and called. These men called of God taught
something of their calling, recognized and gladly, thankfully, willingly
bowed to the fact I'm a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every
believer sees themselves just like this. These were men called
of God by the grace of God, by the power of God, by the Holy
Spirit, set apart as servants. But truly, in relation to their
character, as a servant. All of creation is said to be
a servant. Now, I want you to hold your
place here. Just turn to Psalm 119. Psalm 119. Psalm 119, verse
89 to 91. Psalm 119, verse 89. Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all
generations. Thou hast established the earth,
and it abideth. They continue this day according
to thine ordinances, for all are thy servants. The scripture declares in Job
12, 16. With him is strength and wisdom,
the deceived and the deceiver are his. So in light of the Lord,
the creator of all things, God Almighty, everything and everybody,
according to his wisdom, serves the will and purpose of Almighty
God by His ruling and His overruling sovereign power in the accomplishment
of His good pleasure and purpose to save His people from their
sins. Everybody is a servant of the
Lord. Everybody. Everything. The world, these trees, everything. is a servant of the Lord, but
some, by the grace of God, have been made with it. Bow to it. Some unwilling servants, but
they're still the servants. Deceived and the deceiver, they're
the Lord. All creation serves Him. And though all creation is declared
to be the servant of the Lord, as I said, there's a remnant.
according to the election of grace, those who have been loved
of the Lord with an everlasting love. And this remnant, because
of God's grace, is gonna be saved. If the Lord had not left us a
small remnant, we'd all been like Sodom and Gomorrah. But
here we are today, just a remnant, just a few people. But thanks
be unto God, God Almighty has been pleased to call some people
out of darkness. and made them willing in the
day of his power. And these that are called of
God, the chosen of God's elect, called by his grace, the scripture
declares in Proverbs 28, verse 19, he that tilleth his land
shall have plenty of bread. Somebody said, well, I don't
know what my calling of the Lord is. Faithful is he that calleth
you, he'll do it. Don't, you just, you do what
you're doing right here. You come sit under the sound
of the gospel. You listen to what God has to
say. And God'll take care of his people. He's gonna call his
people out of death. But here's one thing that I noticed
immediately. He that tilleth his land shall
have plenty of bread. Now, do you know how we would
normally think that? Think of that statement? He that
tilleth his land. Well, I've got a piece of land
I'm gonna go out there and work my land. Well, let's be reminded
of something we just looked at. The earth is the Lord's. Psalm
24 one, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the
world and all they that dwell in it. Well, I've got this piece
of property and I bought it and said, the earth is the Lord's. Well, this passed down, I inherited,
the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. So when we,
scriptures look to it, we see he that telleth his land, whose
land is it? It's his land. Let's look at
this in light of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And listen
to the promise. of this scripture. He that tilleth
his land as a willing servant, made so by the grace of God,
called by grace, kept by grace, led by grace, taught by grace,
he that tilleth his land in whatever capacity the Lord puts upon him, here's the promise, shall have
plenty of bread. Where do you think I'm going
with that bread? You're right, that's exactly right. Just exactly
right. He shall have plenty of bread.
The bread of heaven himself. He that tilleth his land called
of God, kept of God. Now I want you to hold your place
there. We'll come back in just a second. But I want you to turn
with me to Matthew 20. Matthew, he that tilleth his
land. is in this world doing just exactly
what you're doing right here. Sitting here, listening to what
God has to say in his scriptures. My sheep hear my voice. I know
them, they follow me. You think the Lord will guide
and direct his people. You think the steps of a good
man are gonna be ordered by the Lord. You think you gotta try
to figure out what are you gonna do for God. God will direct. God will direct, don't worry.
He that tilleth his land. Matthew chapter 20. This is a
beautiful passage that was given by our Lord. Matthew chapter
20, for the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a
householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers
into his venue. Now, this is a beautiful revelation
here concerning the kingdom of God, the kingdom of his glory.
the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says the kingdom of heaven
is like a manded householder. And what he did, he went out,
the scripture says, verse two, when he had agreed with the laborers
that he had hired early in the morning, he agreed with the laborers
for a penny, a penny a day. found out that a penny a day
was the fair wage of a soldier, a Roman soldier. It was a good
pay. It was a fair and honest, honorable
pay. And he went out about the third
hour, about nine o'clock in the morning, and saw others standing
idle in the marketplace. He said to them, go ye also into
the vineyard in whatsoever's right, I will give you, and they
went their way. Again, he went out about the
sixth hour, about noon, and about the ninth hour, about three in
the afternoon, did likewise, about the 11th hour, about five
o'clock in the afternoon, about quitting time. He went out and
found others standing idle and said to them, why stand you here
all the day idle? They said to him, because no
man has hired us. He saith unto them, go ye also
into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the Lord
of the vineyard saith unto his steward, call the laborers, give
them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And
when they came that were hired about the 11th hour, about five
o'clock in the afternoon, they received every man a penny. But
when the first came, they supposed that they should have received
more. And they likewise received every man a penny, and when they
had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house,
saying, These last have wrought but an hour. Thou hast made them
equal unto us, which have borne the burden in the heat of the
day. But he answered one of them and said, Friend, I do thee no
wrong. Didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine
is, and go thy way. I will give unto this last, even
as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do
what I will with mine own? Is thine I evil, because I'm
good? So the last shall be first, and the first last. For many
be called, but few chosen. Now, let me ask you something.
Did not the Lord go out Did he not agree with them all to give
them a penny? Yes. And what was the reward
given to every one of them that worked? A penny. Our scripture is setting forth
the reward, the plenty of bread. Back in Proverbs 28, He that tilleth his land shall
have plenty of bread. And what was the plenty of bread
in the Lord's parable? A penny. What did the penny set
forth? The Lord Jesus Christ. Life in
him. This is the reward for tilling
the land in the kingdom of the Lord. So in light of receiving
the plenty of bread, the bread of heaven himself, Concerning
that reward, who will receive more? When we stand before God and
hear the Lord of glory say unto those on his right hand, the
sheep, enter in. Enter into the kingdom that was
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Who will receive
more? They'll all get the same. will have Christ. Who will receive
more? The Apostle Paul, chosen and
called of God to till as a servant in his land, in his kingdom? Turn over to 2 Corinthians, 2
Corinthians chapter 11, 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11, look at verse
23, 27. Now, 2 Corinthians 11, 23. Now, this is some things that
the Apostle Paul was called to suffer when he was in the kingdom,
working, called of God to till, to labor as a servant. What did
the Lord call him to do? He called him to preach the gospel.
What happened? Look at 2 Corinthians 11, verse
23. The apostle Paul said, are they
ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool, I'm more.
In labors, more abundant. In stripes, above measure. In
prisons, more frequent. In deaths, oft. Of the Jews,
five times received I forty stripes, save one. Thrice I was beaten
with rods. Once I was stoned thrice. I suffered
shipwreck a night, a day. I've been in the deep, in journeyings
often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils
of my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in
the city, in perils of the wilderness, in perils of the sea, in perils
among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness. Watchings often
and hunger and thirst and fastings often and cold and neckiness
What do you have to do? He he went through a life of
suffering Suffering He said they beat me I was in the water I've
been you know, I was in prison I would just I was hated I was
just What did the Lord called him to do he called him at the
hour of the Lord's choosing and Whatever hour that was, whenever
God called him according to God's good timing, he called him. About the fifth hour, the Lord
was pleased to call a thief on the cross. He called him about the fifth
hour. About quitting time. That thief's life was about over.
What did he call that thief to do? This is what I want you to
do as you till in my kingdom. You'll be nailed to a cross or
hung on a cross. He wasn't nailed, hung on a cross.
And you're going to rail on me at first. But then according
to my will and my purpose, my power, I'm gonna give you a new
heart. Did I give you a new heart? When
I give you a new heart, when I remove that heart of stone
and I give you a heart of flesh, then you will say to me, Lord, when you enter into your kingdom,
will you remember me? That's what the Lord called him
to do. Now let me ask you this, who's gonna receive more? Paul
the apostle or the thief on the cross? They're both gonna get
a penny. That's what they're gonna get.
They're gonna receive a plenty of bread. They're gonna have
Christ. They'll have it all. Brethren, the scripture declares,
he that tilleth his land has nothing to do when God calls
him. The Lord calls him, Paul the apostle said, when it pleased
God. who call me by his grace, reveal his son to me immediately.
I've conferred not with flesh and blood. It doesn't matter.
If God is pleased to call one at one time in his life and another
at another time, they're all gonna get Christ. They'll have
it all. They'll have it all. Heirs of
God. That thief is just as much an
heir of God as Paul the apostle. is Abraham, Isaac, Moses, all
of them, will all have him. He that tilleth his land shall
have plenty of bread, but he that followeth after vain, and
again, persons in italics, it was added by the interpreters,
he that followeth after vain, vanity, shall have poverty enough. And that word enough right there,
is the same word as plenty. He's gonna have, he'll have poverty. He that followeth after vanity,
he that followeth after nothing, nothingness, he's gonna have
exactly what he sold, nothing. Proverbs 12, turn back over to
Proverbs 12 for a second, I'll wrap this up. Proverbs 12. Proverbs
12, 11. Proverbs 12, 11 says almost identically
the same, but just a little difference in the wording. Proverbs 12,
11 says, he that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with
bread, but he that followeth vain persons, or he that followeth,
again, vanity, is void of understanding. He's void of understanding, number
one, of who God is. He's void of understanding God
who is just and holy and does as he will. Well, it's not fair
that Paul had to suffer all this and that thief had to. He's ignorant. He's void of understanding
of who God is. He's void of understanding concerning
the righteousness which God is going to accept, the righteousness
of Christ. Man by nature believes that he's
going to stand before God as in Matthew 7, 21. and said, Lord,
Lord, we prophesied in your name. We've done many marvelous things.
We cast out death. We. He's void of understanding
of the righteousness of God, the obedience toward God. He's
void of understanding concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Man by
nature thinks that The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to
save the whole world. He came into this world to save
His people from their sins. Who said that? He did. You call
His name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. What did He pray in John 17 verse
9? What did He pray concerning the
world? He said, I have given thy word
unto those that you've given me out of the world. I pray for
them. Who? John 17, 9 says, I pray
for those that you gave me. Thine they were and you gave
them to me. I don't pray. He said, I pray not for the world.
I don't pray for the world. But I pray for those that you've
given me. They're ignorant. They're void of understanding
who God is. who the Lord Jesus Christ is in their void of the
understanding of salvation. Salvation's of the Lord. I've always been told that salvation
was up to me. And it was up to my decision. It was up to me, of my baptism,
of my walking down the aisle. I thought salvation is of the
Lord. Almighty God's gonna call His
people John 6, 37, the Lord said, all that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. And him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out. You know what that means? That
means that everybody chosen in Christ from before the foundation
of the world, Ephesians 1, 4, all of them, all of them are
going to come. Salvation is sure. There's no
if in salvation. Salvation is sure. When the Lord
Jesus Christ shed his blood on Calvary, not one drop of it was
wasted. If he shed his blood to save
men from their sins and they go to hell, he failed. He failed. Salvation's over. He that tilleth
His land shall have plenty of bread. He's gonna have Christ. Oh, may the Lord bless this to
our hearts for Christ's sake. Amen. All right, let's take a
break. We'll come back.