Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter
3. The Apostle Paul in the 9th verse
of this chapter had declared concerning God's preachers. He said, we are laborers together
with God. Ye are God's husbandry, ye are
God's building. Now, for sure we know this, that
God's preachers are not cooperating, co-operating in the bringing
about of God's will. The Lord does not need my arm,
my hand, my feet to accomplish His will. But what the Apostle
Paul is saying, because we know that every fiber of thinking
that a man is needful in the accomplishment of God's will,
what Paul is saying is that we, as God's preachers, are laborers
together. with God. The togetherness is
the Paul's and the Apollos' and the brother Scott's and brother
Henry's and that we are laborers together. Used of God Almighty in the bringing
about in the open manifestation of that which Almighty God has
eternally purposed. Now the Lord has a people He's
chosen them before the foundation of the world. And the Apostle
Paul is saying the church is God's husbandry, farm. It's God's building. And everything
concerning the building of the church is the Lord's. God Almighty is bringing about
the open manifestation of his church, and he's been pleased
to use preaching. That is the means. It's the preaching
of the gospel. That is the only way that God
Almighty is going to bring about the salvation of his people through
the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the
Scripture declares, as Paul said in verse 8, He that planteth,
he that watereth, are one. And every man shall receive his
own reward according to his own labor. Now, the Apostle Paul
did not say that he's going to receive a reward according to
the outward success of his ministry. Numbers is not the issue. I want to see people come. I do. I want to see people want
to come and sit under the gospel. It's such an encouragement whenever
you see people that want to hear the gospel. I mean, it's encouraging. You're encouraging to me. But
I know this, seeing someone come or seeing someone attend is not
the measure of the success of that which Almighty God is pleased
to do. This is what I know, the Lord
is going to accomplish his will. But Paul said it's not the outward
manifestation of what's happening. Numbers can be very deceiving. But he said that Almighty God
is going to reward the laborers according to his own labor. There was a woman that took an
alabaster box And she came to the Lord and broke that box about
a year's wages worth of that nard. It was the perfume that
was made from the spiked nard tree. And it was nard. It was
perfume. It was very costly. And she anointed
the Lord with it. And this, whenever the disciples
started getting on to her and said, What was this waste? And he said, she has done what
she could. She did what she could. You leave
her alone. So God's preachers are going
to be rewarded according to their labor. This truth, now it's that
statement that I was looking at, according to His own labor. According to His own labor. I
want you to take, hold your place right there and turn with me
to Matthew 20. Matthew 20, I want to read, I'm gonna read this
15 verses. Matthew 20, verses 1 to 15. It's Matthew 20, verses
1 to 15. The kingdom of heaven. Now listen, whenever it says
the kingdom of heaven is like, I mean we ought to take note
of that. This is what the kingdom of heaven and the bringing about,
the building of God's church. This is an example. He's teaching
something. Here he's teaching in a story,
a parable. And let's listen. Listen to what
the Spirit of God has to say. The kingdom of heaven is likened
to a man that's a householder, which went out early in the morning
to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the
laborers for a penny, and a penny was basically a day's wages,
he agreed with them for a penny a day and he sent them into his
vineyard. And he went out about the third
hour, went out about nine o'clock in the morning, you know, the
Jewish day, six o'clock in the morning until, you know, six
o'clock that evening of the day. He went out about nine o'clock
in the morning, saw others standing idle in the marketplace. He said
unto them, go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right,
I will give you. And they went their way and again
he went out about the 6th hour, 9th hour, about 12 o'clock, about
3 o'clock, did likewise. And about the 11th hour, about
5 o'clock in the afternoon, he went out and there was about
an hour's left, Neil, in that day. you know, we're going to
work, you know. Got about an hour left, and went
out about the eleventh hour and found others standing idle, said
unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 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. So when even was come, about
six o'clock that day, 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 eleventh hour, 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'd received it,
they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, These
last have wrought but one hour. And thou hast made them equal
unto us, which have borne the burden and 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 eye evil
because I am good?" Now here's what happened. A householder
went and at different times of the day, now I can't tell you
the fullness of that, you know, hiring, whether it's the difference
in the physical age, of when the Lord is pleased to call somebody
out. He may call somebody out. at
a very young age in life and he may call somebody out when
they're, you know, much older in life. I don't know if it's
that or if I don't, I don't know if it's the different ages, you
know, of mankind from the, from the, you know, creation of man
till the second coming. But the fact of the matter is
he had agreed to pay a penny and that penny right there was
a fit symbol of the reward. of life eternal, the reward of
having Christ as their reward. That was the pay. The kingdom
of heaven is like this. It's the gift that's given, for
by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourself,
it's the gift of God. These men didn't earn, it was
a parable teaching the reward. of being in the Lord's vineyard. These laborers, they were hired
at different times, and he hired some of them at the 11th hour. And it came time to pay up. And the one that was hired at
the late hour, 11th hour, he got a penny. The guys that were
hired at 6 in the morning, 7 in the morning, whenever it was,
They got a penny. They all received the same reward. This is a setting forth of the
kingdom of heaven. Everybody is going to get the
same reward. Now let me ask you this. Who
shall receive or who deserves the greater reward in heaven? Paul the Apostle or the thief
on the cross? Now, I know humanly what we'd
think. Well, I mean, Paul the Apostle, chosen vessel of God,
The Lord stopped him on the road to Damascus. They led him in
there, blinded him, led him into this town. The Lord told Ananias
concerning going to see this Saul of Tarsus that was there
in town. He said, Lord, we've heard about
him. And the Lord said, you go thy
way. He's a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the
Gentiles and kings, children of Israel. For I will show him
how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. So here's
what happened. The Lord called him. The Lord
converted him. The Lord taught him. The Lord
qualified him. And the Almighty God sent him
to preach. And for years and years and years, the Apostle
Paul suffered great persecution. He said in 2 Corinthians 11,
23-27, 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 was I beaten with
rods. Once was I stoned. Thrice I suffered
shipwreck. A day and a night I've been in
the deep, in journeyings, often in perils of water. in perils
of robbers, in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils of
the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness,
in perils in the sea, in perils among the false brethren, in
weariness, in painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger, in
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. The apostle
Paul suffered to preach the gospel. He said, I've been beat, I've
been stoned, I've been robbed, I've been in the ocean. And by the revelation of God's
Spirit, the Apostle Paul said toward the close of his life,
Now those of us that, humanly speaking, I don't know when the
Lord is going to take any of us, but after a while you start
thinking, you know, well 3 score and 10, well you start adding
that up. You know, if you're quite a bit under that, let me
tell you something, it takes just that long, and before you
know it, you're going to turn around and you're going to think,
wow, where did the years go? Here's what Paul said in 2 Timothy
4, 6-7, for I'm now ready to be offered, and the time of my
departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I
have finished, now listen to this, I have finished my course. I've kept the faith. Henceforth
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the faithful judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me
only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." You
know what Paul got? A penny. He got a penny. That's what he got. Paul was
hired maybe at, you know, six in the morning. That penny that
he received was that gracious reward of God that's given to
all that love him. Paul received his own reward
according to his labor. There were two thieves beside
the Lord Jesus Christ, one on each side on the day that the
Lord was crucified. And one of them died rebuking
the Lord. But the other, what he had to
say to the Lord was recorded for our admonition and our instruction
and our comfort. Here's what he said to that one
that was rebuking the Lord in Luke 23. Does not thou fear God?
seeing thou art in the same condemnation, and we indeed justly, for we
receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man hath done
nothing amiss, and he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when
thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily
I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Now I just summed up that thief's,
his, his duration. That was his labor. Every man's
gonna receive a reward according to his labor. That's what God
called him to do. Lasted about that long. That
thief, one, just like those hired at the 11th hour, finished his
course. He fought a good fight too. And he kept the faith just like
the Apostle Paul. And you know what the Lord gave
him? A penny. That was his reward. It was according
to his labor. God Almighty eternally chose
all that he was going to show mercy, all that he would show
compassion, And in this day, in the day in which we live,
I don't know where we are in light of the total duration of
the building of God's church. But I do know this, here at KD,
or at Lexington, or Danville, or Ephesus, or Corinth, or Philadelphia,
I don't know where we are. But I can tell you this, During
these times, God's calling out laborers. And He's building up,
openly manifesting that which He's eternally been pleased to
do. Laborers called out in every
age that the Lord has been pleased to leave mankind on this earth. And I'm telling you, every man,
every woman, whatever your labor is, If the Lord's called me to
preach, He called you for something else. There's a reason for you
to say, well, I'm just a church member. No. Let me tell you, you that
are just a church member, you're a lively stone. If you know Him,
you're a lively stone just like I am. And because you're not
an eye, can you say, well, I'm not a member, I'm not a foot,
I'm not... Every part of God's church has
a vital part in it. I'm going to tell you something,
you that know Him, There is something in this building, in this assembly
here, part of the grand church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
you are indispensable. You are absolutely vital. The Lord has put you exactly
where you are, for an exact, there is a purpose that you serve
that you may never know. But there's got to be a you,
and a you, and a you, and a you, and a you, and a you. You must
be here. And Almighty God builds them
up. And He has called you to your
labor. What He's called you to do, He's
called you to do. In verse 10, Paul says this,
according to the grace of God, which is given unto me a wise
master builder, I've laid the foundation, and another buildeth
thereon. Let every man take heed how he
buildeth thereon. The apostle declares here by
the grace of God that he was called and taught by the Lord,
And he was taught something that he sets forth here as being as
a wise master builder. Paul said, I'm not claiming that
I am wise, though the wisdom that he had was from the Lord. The Lord taught him something.
I have no idea, but Almighty God taught Paul something and
then used him to pin so much of this New Testament, the revelation
of what God's been pleased to reveal. What he taught him, was
it when he went to the third heaven? I don't know. I don't
know. But Paul was taught some things. God taught him. And then
gave him a messenger of Satan to buffet him, that he wouldn't
be lifted up with pride because of the abundance of the revelations
that he'd given him. And Paul asked the Lord, he said,
Would you remove this thrice, I asked him. And he said, My
grace is sufficient for you. Paul said, As a wise master builder,
I've laid the foundation. And the laying of that foundation,
I know it didn't originate with Paul. I know that Almighty God
laid the foundation. Listen to Isaiah 28, 16, Therefore
thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation,
a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.
He that believeth shall not make haste. That means he that believeth
is not going to be ashamed. That's what he's saying. So Paul
declared, he said, I've laid a foundation, the only foundation
that a man builds upon. And then he says, take heed how
he builds it. Just be careful. Verse 11 says,
you know, for other foundations, that can no man lay, that it's
not possible to lay than Jesus Christ. This foundation upon
which the church is built is the only begotten Son of God. God's laid it. What other foundation
can we lay? When we preach the gospel, I'm
going to tell you something, we're building upon the foundation
that was laid by God that glorious gospel of God's free grace that
magnifies the Lord Jesus Christ in Him only, that gives all glory
and honor and praise to Him for salvation, and not to us. So there's no true church except
it be established upon the foundation of Christ who is the Way, the
Truth, the Life, the One. The Scripture says that no man
cometh unto the Father, but by Him. Him, who is the Sovereign
Covenant Head, representative of His people, the Savior, the
absolute Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption
of His Church. The one who lived for, died for
his people and surely will come back for them. You try to build
upon another foundation and I'll tell you this, there is no salvation.
There is no sacrifice. If it's upon another foundation
that is finding its supposed salvation in man's works, I'm
going to tell you something, there's no salvation in that.
There's no redemption, there's no atonement, there's no mediator,
there's no propitiation. The Lord God said from heaven,
this is my beloved Son, in whom I'm well pleased, you hear Him.
This is He who is revealed in the Gospel. Ephesians 2, 19 to
22 says, now therefore you're no more strangers and foreigners,
but you're fellow citizens with the saints. and of the household
of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
the prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in
whom also the building, now listen to this, fitly framed together
groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are
built together for a habitation of God, through the Spirit. He said the church of the Lord
Jesus Christ is set in exact symmetry for God's glory and
for the benefit of God's people. That's what I meant a while ago
when I said this. So, you know, somebody said,
well, you know, I just, you know, I just... Let me tell you something. God's people are God's people. God's building is God's building. And I'm telling you, when we
assemble ourselves together, oh, the preciousness of being
able to be together. To be in the midst of God's people,
the Lord is here. The Lord is here. What else is there? What else
is there? This is it. You know, take heed
how you build on that foundation. God laid that foundation. It
is the foundation himself in whom the Father has chosen his
people for their security, for their keeping, for their good. The foundation Himself, the Lamb
of God, made flesh, dwelling among His people, living for
them on this earth. He went to the cross and laid
down His life for the church. That's who He died for. He laid
down His life for the sheep, the foundation Himself, He who
was made Sin Will never this side of glory understand that
I know that but I'm telling you it was not that he just died
you know just Somebody had to die You're gonna have to just
be somebody just have to die. Just just pick a dog or something
So if it's just gonna happen something's gonna have to die,
but I'm telling you he was miraculously, marvelously, indescribably, he
was made to be what his people are. He was made to be his people. Was he actually made guilty? Now you listen to me. Was he
actually made guilty? Yes. Did he himself personally
know sin by disobedience? No. He who knew no sin himself,
but he was made guilty. If he was not made guilty, then
why did God kill him? You say, he really wasn't guilty.
Well, then God killed a man then that was not made sin. I'm telling
you, this is serious. Almighty God has set forth, this
is the foundation. It's Christ Jesus the Lord. He
suffered and died under the wrath of God. And God is just. God does not kill innocent people. God doesn't kill innocent people.
Who does He kill? The soul that sinneth. Did he
personally do it? I already answered that. Did
he personally rebel against God? No. But was he actually made
the guiltiness of his people? Yes. You and I can't do that. I cannot actually personally
be made guilty for what you did. I can't do that. God did it.
What's impossible with man is possible with God. This is the
miracle of the gospel. I love it when I can't explain
God. We just believe it. There's no other ground of confidence,
not for justification before God. What is that? It's the declaration
of no guilt. There's no other confidence for
sanctification before God. What is that? That God Almighty
has actually made His people in Christ holy. We are holy. There's no other confidence for
salvation. What does that mean? That God
rescued. Except in the foundation that's laid by God. Now I'm going
to stop there for a few minutes. And Lord willing, I'm going to
pick up in just a minute, I'm going to pick up on this statement
right here. Take heed how you build. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart for Christ's sake.