Turn with me to Matthew chapter
20. Matthew 20. We finished chapter
19 last Sunday night. And the chapter ended with the
Lord saying in verse 30, chapter 19, verse 30, he said, but many
that are first shall be last and the last shall be first. And our Lord explained what he
meant by that in chapter 20 by saying, in verse 1, four. When this was written, there
was no chapter division. This was just the next, it wasn't
even the next verse, it was just the next sentence. So let's read, our brother just
read this parable for us, but let's look down through it again. And we'll see that it ends with
the same thing that our Lord said in chapter 19, verse 30. But he adds one statement to
that. And that's where our message will come from this morning.
And I want to go ahead and tell you what it is. I want you to
know where we're going with this. Let's go ahead and get our brain
set right here. I've titled this message God's
Sovereign Right. God's sovereign right. We are going to look at his sovereign
goodness and his sovereign right in all
things. Chapter 20 verse one, our Lord
said, for the kingdom of heaven is
like every time our Lord says that it makes me want to really
pay attention. I love it when he says that.
Our Lord is about to tell us something concerning our eternal
home, the city. We're looking for a real city,
a real place. We have a real goal. This is
not fairy tale. There is a kingdom that all of
God's people cannot wait to be physical members of. We are spiritual
members right now. but we can't wait to be physical
members of. And he said, the kingdom of heaven
is like unto a man that is an householder. Our Lord has given
a parable, and this parable means something. This is an earthly
story with a heavenly meaning. It has a spiritual meaning. And
spiritually, this householder is God the Father. Kingdom of
heaven is like God, the father, the owner of the house. Our Lord
said in my father's house, didn't he say that? So verse one, it
says, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder,
which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. Who are the laborers? That's
God's elect people. All of God's chosen, selected,
called people. Verse two, and when he had agreed
with the laborers for a penny and the center margin in my Bible
gives the value of this Roman penny, which the commentary writers
say was a very good wage. Very gracious. Very giving, very
abundant. And I'm not going to tell you
what I found because I don't want to. I don't want to muddy
this physical thing with the spiritual meaning of it, but
as I studied it and after I studied it, so this was very generous. This wage was very, very generous. It was abundantly gracious. This
penny represents the abundant gift of God for centers. which is Christ Jesus our Lord.
Verse two, when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny
a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Our Lord constantly
talked about laborers in his harvest, the ripe fruit of his
people in the world. The scripture says we're all
laborers together in the work of the ministry of declaring
the gospel that will call out the next generation of God's
people. Why do we keep preaching the gospel? It's because generation
upon generation, this is how God calls his people to himself,
gives them an understanding of who he is and what salvation
is. This is our labor. This is our
calling. He said, go into all the world
and preach the gospel. Whoever believes and is baptized
shall be saved. We don't do this, we don't labor
in this in order to receive the reward, but we labor in this
because we have received the reward. Verse two, when he had agreed
with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his
vineyard And he went out about the third hour, which was nine
o'clock in the morning. Their day started at 6 a.m. and it ended at 6 p.m. They had
a 12 hour day. And he called some laborers at
6 a.m. Originally, he went out early
in the morning. He called some laborers at 6 a.m. and then he
went out and called some more at 9 a.m. Verse three. And he went out about the third
hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace and said
unto them, go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right
I will give you. And they went their way. Whatever
is right shall not the judge of the earth do what's right. only what's right. He said, I
will give you rightness. I'll give you righteousness,
which is Christ himself. Verse five. Again, he went out
about the sixth and ninth hour and did likewise. So he went
out and hired some at 6 a.m. 9 a.m. noon, 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. And this is an illustration of
time, the span of time in the world as we know it. Our Lord
called some in the days of Adam. He called some in the days of
Moses. He called some in the days of
David. He called some in the days of
the apostles, and he is still calling some right now today. Verse six, in about the 11th
hour, The day ended at 6 p.m. At 5 in the evening, 5 o'clock
in the evening, with only one hour left in the day, he went
out and hired some more. Verse 5, he went out about the
6th hour and the 9th hour and did likewise, and about the 11th
hour he went out and found others standing idle, and saith 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 you receive. So when even was come, the Lord
of the vineyard said unto his steward, call the laborers and
give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. Start with the ones that were
called at 5 p.m. and work your way down to the
ones called at 6 a.m. And this is a picture of that
great day when the Lord is going to call all of his people to
himself. And they will physically lay
hold of what has been reserved for them. Verse nine. And when they came that were
hired about the 11th 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. Some people believe that if they
do more, they will receive a higher place in heaven. More crowns
in heaven for it. That is not so. That's just not
so. The thief on the cross. This
is an amazing thing to realize. The thief on the cross. How long
do you think the thief hung there as a believer? Not long. What all did he go
out and labor in? Not much. That thief on the cross
got the same reward that Moses got. Think about that. What was the reward? Christ. The very last believer that's
called on this earth, this earth is still turning because there
are still believers to be called. Once that very last believer
is called, what's the point? The very last believer that's
called will get the same reward Adam got, which is Christ. You say, Gabe, you really believe
Adam and Eve were saved? Yes, I do. Why? It's because Jesus Christ made
intercession for them. He came to them where they were
in their sinful condition, and He provided a substitute for
them. He shed blood for them. He covered their shame in a spotless,
innocent robe that He wrought for them. That's what He did for every
sinner He came to save. And because of that, that makes Him the reward. He is the reward. What we receive
in Christ is the reward. And because all of God's people
get Christ and because there are no degrees to Christ, everybody
gets the same reward. Golden streets, pearly gates,
mansions are not the reward. What does any of that stuff matter?
What does any of that matter? Oh, that I might win Christ and
be found in him. Oh, that we might be washed in
his blood. covered in His righteousness,
forgiven in His covenant. He is the only reward that God's
people want. He's the only one. He's the only
reward that God's people need. And this right here is where
the type ends, this illustration. This is where it turns from being
God's people to this unbelieving world because The sinfulness
of man's flesh reared its head up right here, and they started
murmuring and complaining right here. And I'm telling you, on
the Day of Judgment, no child of God is going to murmur and
complain for receiving Christ alone. It's not going to happen.
We murmur and complain for everything down here, but that's every child
of God's eternal glory. That's all they want, Christ
alone. Christ alone. But in the story, our Lord said
in verse 10, 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 one hour, and thou hast made them equal
unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. Isn't
that just like the sinful flesh of man? I'm worth more. I'm owed more. I deserve more. In that day,
no child of God will say that because no child of God will
believe that. No child of God. We will all
be overjoyed to receive Christ together. Together. The scripture says, Whoever gives
a glass of water to a prophet, a preacher, receives the same
reward as the preacher. No true preacher on that day
is going to say, now, wait a minute. Do you mean to tell me that I
spent all that time reading and searching and digging and praying
and studying and writing and putting it in order and then
wadding half of it up and throwing it away because it needed to
be redone and then worrying and worrying. You know how I spent
my morning this morning? Worrying. worrying and praying and pleading
and then I spent all that time standing and speaking and you
mean to tell me the man or a woman who just got the glass of water
gets the same reward I get? Yep. You both get Christ. That's glorious, isn't it? Murmuring
and complaining like that will never happen. We'll all be elated. Can you
believe we got Christ? Can you believe that? We'll be done with all that sinful
wretchedness. Even here on this earth, though,
right now, once God's people really see what the reward is,
Christ himself, our labor that he called us to, it doesn't make
a bit of difference, does it? It doesn't make a bit of difference.
I do this. because he called me to do this.
You do this because he called you to do this. It doesn't make
a bit of difference, does it? Somebody said one time, if God
sent two angels to the earth, one to rule it and the other
to sweep the streets, neither one of them would care what job
they get. And that's so because in Christ,
it's not about us, it's all about Christ. in Christ. It's not about us. It's all about
Christ. He's our reward. He's our prize. He's our goal.
And thank God, all of God's people receive him equally according
to the demand and the decree of the Lord himself. And that's
what he said right here. Verse 13, but he answered one
of them and said, friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst thou not
agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is and go thy
way. I will give unto this last even
as unto thee. Verse 15 says, is it not lawful
for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because
I am good? So the last shall be first and
the first last. For many be called, but few be
chosen. Now, our Lord saying the last
shall be first and the first last, many things have been said
about that. Some use it to say that the abundance
of this world has been given to the unbelieving world, but
God's people get the world to come. And that's true. That really
is true. God's people, generally speaking,
are last in this world, but they're going to be first in the world
to come. That's true. Some people apply it to situations
like Cain and Abel. Cain was born first. We know
what happened with Cain and Abel. Jacob and Esau, the elder served
the younger. First will be last, last will
be first. That's true. Some make reference to the apostle
Paul, the last apostle. He said, I was as one born out
of due time. You know, he ended up being the
one that the Lord used to write half of the New Testament. That's
true. He did. Whatever all that applies
to, here's the point. God said that's how it would
be, so that's how it was. Here is the point. In this story
of what this landowner chose to do with whom he chose to do
it, Here's what we need to take from this, verse 15. God Almighty
says, is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? This story is a declaration of
God's sovereignty, God's absolute sovereignty in everything. That's his moral of his story.
I wish the world could hear this. I want men and women to hear
this so badly. I want people to hear this so badly. This is
our Lord's ending point of his parable. Our Lord is telling
us in this that he does and he gives what he wants, when he
wants, to whom he wants. He told Moses, I will be gracious
to whom I will be gracious. I will show mercy. to whom I
will show mercy. I will do what I want with my
own. Turn with me to Romans 9. Romans 9, verse 9. For this is the word of promise,
at this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. That's
what God said to Abraham. Verse 10. And not only this,
but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac,
For the children being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth." To prove
that God elected His people, chose His people, not according
to their works, but according to His own purpose and grace. To prove that. Before they were
ever even born, verse 12, it was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. Why? Why? Here's the answer. It's because
that's what seemed good in his sight. Was Jacob better than
Esau? No, he was worse actually. But that's what seemed good in
his sight. We worship and we serve a God
who truly is God. We're all going to have to bow
before a God who truly is God. Verse 14, what shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? Do we look at God and the decrees
of God and the ways of God and say, that's not fair? That's
not right. What gives him the right to do
that? Is that what we say to the works of the sovereign God?
Verse 14 says, God forbid. Verse 15, for he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I'll tell you some good news
about this sovereign God. He will have mercy. He will. Why will he have mercy? Because
that's what it pleased him to do. what he delighted to do. This is what I want us to know
and understand about our God. He does whatever he's pleased
to do and he's right in doing it. He has the right to do it and
he is right in doing it. Whatever he does, he's right
in doing it. He will have mercy but he will have sovereign mercy. He will sovereignly have mercy
on whom he will have mercy. That's his right as God, the
creator, the owner, the ruler, the king, that's his right. Verse
15, for he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have
mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then it is not of him that willeth, Well, don't you want
to be saved? Aren't you going to make your
decision to be saved? It's not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth. Aren't you going to get on fire
for Jesus and go work for Jesus and work your way to heaven?
It's not of him that runneth. It's of God that shows mercy.
It's of God that shows mercy. That means He does what He wants
with whom He wants. He gives what He wants to whom
He wants. He saves whom He wants, when
He wants. It's totally in His hands. Everything
is totally in His hands. He created everything. He owns
everything. He has the right to do what He
wants with it. If he wants to show mercy to
one and pass another by, that's his right. If he wants to call one laborer
and leave one laborer, that's his right. And that's his doing. Verse 17, for the scripture saith
unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose, have I raised thee up. Do we see that right there? Pharaoh
wasn't the Lord's adversary. God put him in that position
on purpose for a purpose. The Lord said, let my people
go. Pharaoh wouldn't do it. Why wouldn't
Pharaoh do it? That ought to be the title of
a message. Okay. Why wouldn't Pharaoh do it? Here's
the reason. God wouldn't let him. God kept
hardening his heart. Do we know that? Pharaoh was
not hindering God's work, he was doing God's work. He wasn't
God's adversary, he was God's pawn. Verse 17, for the scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name
might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, why
doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
No. But O man, who art thou that
replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay of the same lump? I want to point
that out, not a different lump. Okay. The same lump to make one vessel under honor
and another under dishonor. My daughter Isabella is in a
pottery class in high school right now. And not that I'm a
proud father or anything, but if you want to see her work,
it's on my desk. You can, you're welcome to stare
at it as long as you'd like. In this class, she takes a ball
of clay, a lump of clay. All of the students are given
a ball of clay. It's their clay. Once it's given
to them and doled out to them, it's their clay. Once it's placed
in their hands, it's their clay. And what she
does is she puts it on a potter's wheel. And as it spins, she forms
it into whatever shape she wants to form it into. This really happens. Now, if
for whatever reason she is not pleased with it, answer this
with me. Let's get real for just a moment.
Can we not say that she has the right and the ability Those two
things. Can we not say that she has the
right and the ability to ball it back up into a ball and start
over? Can we not honestly say that?
It's her clay. It's her creation and she can
do with it whatever she wants to do with it. If it's not pleasing
to her and she wants to start over and form something that's
very pleasing, or if she forms something that's very pleasing
and balls it up into something that's not pleasing, doesn't
she have the right and the ability to do that? Well, here is the truth of the
matter concerning us. This is my calling. My calling
is to stand here and tell the truth concerning God, salvation,
us. Here is the truth concerning
us. He is the potter. We are the
clay. We are in His hands. We are in
His hands. And He has the right and He has
the ability to do whatever He wants to do with us. The prophet
Eli said, it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good.
Job said, the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed
be the name of the Lord. It's all his to do with as he
pleases. And he's going to do right in
his doing. Job also said, Though he slay
me, yet will I trust him. Because he'll be right in it.
That's what he's pleased to do with me. He'll be right in it.
When it comes to everything concerning this creation, God is sovereign
over it. When it comes to everything concerning
our salvation, God is sovereign over it. Our Lord ended his parable
By saying, and I'll just quote it to you, he said, many be called,
but few chosen. And that's how it is with God.
Everything with God is chosen. Everything with God is selected
according to his will and his purpose. And God's people are
so thankful for that. I don't want my will, do you?
I don't want my purpose to be done. I don't trust it. It's
a sinful will and a sinful purpose. God's people are so thankful
that everything is according to His will and His purpose.
We would not want it any other way. This gospel declaration
has gone out to all the world. Have they not all heard? Going
out to everybody. Many be called. Thank God, some
are chosen. You have been chosen. If God
did not choose a sinner, If God did not sovereignly move on that
center and draw that center to Christ, that center would never
come. Our hope is in his sovereignty.
Our only hope is his sovereignty. That's our hope. May God teach
us that. May God cause us to know it and
believe it and bow to it and love it. His sovereignty. And
here's the reason why I'll close with this. Every soul who is made to love
God's sovereignty and salvation, and I mean complete and total,
nothing added to it, nothing taken from it. Every soul who
is made to love God's sovereignty and salvation is in God's sovereign
salvation. Every soul made to love God's
sovereignty and salvation is in God's sovereign salvation.
That heart for it, that's the evidence of believing it, loving
it, casting our all on Christ. Lord, give us that heart. If
you would be pleased, it's your will, your decision, your purpose. If you would be pleased to do
it, give us that heart to love it.