1. Today we will look at the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. "Then answered Peter…" (19:27).
2. Our Lord’s reply to Peter’s question suggests that in the millennial kingdom, believers will be rewarded for their faithfulness (19:28-30).
3. Then you will notice that chapter 20 begins with the word, "For," indicating that this parable is linked to the preceding verses. Remember that there are no chapter and verse divisions in the original Greek NT.
4. (There are no chapter and verse divisions in the Hebrew OT either.)
5. Another sign the two passages are connected – cf. 19:30 and 20:16.
6. We are going to be looking today at the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. This parable is connected to the end of chapter 19, and it deals with this matter of rewards.
7. Some Christians believe that neither duty nor virtue should be connected with rewards; that duty should be done, and virtue pursued for their own sake, with no thought of reward.
8. That certainly is a noble thought. However, the Bible teaches that God does reward His children and that the prospect of it is a motive and incentive for godly living.
9. As we look into this passage, I will try and bring out some principles concerning rewards.

I. THE JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH SHALL DO RIGHT.

1. Way back in Genesis 18:25, we read these words: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
2. The answer is obviously yes – God always does right. In this parable, God is represented by the "man that is an householder" (Matt.20:1) and we are told that he will do "whatsoever is right" (Matt.20:4,7).
3. Notice that it is God who is seeking after laborers; they do not seek after Him (Matt.20:1; cf. John 15:16).
4. This Scriptural principle should not be used as an excuse for laziness or sloth. The householder said to those standing idle, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" (20:6).
5. Perhaps there are some here tonight who are "standing idle," you are doing nothing for God. Perhaps your answer is like theirs – "Because no man hath hired us" (20:7). Starting tonight you can forget that excuse – God is speaking to you through His Word – do not harden your heart – do not resist His grace – do not put off salvation.
6. Some have interpreted this parable to mean that it is OK to reject the Gospel year after year, and then in the eleventh hour get things right with God. There are some serious problems with this interpretation:

1. These men were not hanging around refusing to work. When they were rebuked by the householder, they responded by saying, "Because no man hath hired us" (20:6,7). In other words, as soon as they were offered a job, they took it. That is entirely different from a person who hears the Gospel over and over and keeps refusing to get saved.
2. Secondly, no one is guaranteed another day in this world. Waiting around to get things right with God when you are old is foolish because you could die before you ever have the opportunity. Many people die before they get old.
3. On an old tombstone these words were written:

Pause, my friend, as you walk by;
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you will be;
Prepare, my friend, to follow me!
Under that epitaph, someone added these lines:
To follow you is not my intent,
Until I know which way you went!

II. REWARDS ARE BASED UPON GOD’S GRACE.

1. Think this through with me. God saves us by His grace – "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph.2:8,9).
2. However, God judges us according to our works (cf. I Cor.3:12-15; Rev.22:12).
3. And it is only by God’s grace that anyone receives any kind of reward either here on earth or up in heaven. All blessings from God are gifts and we have no claim to them by our own merit.
4. The workmen that were laboring all day "murmured against the goodman of the house" (20:11,12). There were too many murmurers then and there are too many murmurers today.
5. It is the same wrong attitude that the elder brother had in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:25-32).
6. Sometimes I will talk to some unsaved man and he will object to God’s plan of salvation by saying: "I go to church every week; I never cheated on my wife; I do this and I do that, and on and on…and you mean to tell me that some murderer and thief can repent and get saved and I am going to hell because I am not born again?" A man that uses this type of reasoning indicates he obviously does not understand grace, sin, judgment, salvation, etc.
7. By the way, people who teach salvation by works often confuse grace and rewards. We are saved by grace, but we are rewarded on the basis of our works.
8. The workers hired early in the morning agreed to work for a penny (20:1,2, a day’s wages back then). The others cast themselves on the householder’s grace and they got grace. The householder said: "Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you" (20:4,7).
9. They just went out, trusting that the householder would do right. There is an important principle here. Grace is always better – it is far better to leave our rewards up to the Lord than to strike a bargain with Him. They probably would have agreed to lower wages had they tried to bargain with the householder.
10. Remember, God is infinitely generous and gracious and will always give us better than we deserve.
11. In God’s service we have to change our way of thinking – His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways His ways (Isa.55:8).
12. Spurgeon said God "has His own gracious ways of estimating service, and the reckonings of grace are not like those of law."
13. We need to abandon our worldly, prideful way of thinking. We need the mind of Christ and that does not come over night.
14. A few years ago, Bro. Lubiano and I stumbled into a Bible study that a cult was holding over on Meacham Avenue. When we arrived and they discovered we were Christians, it quickly turned into a debate. After awhile, the cultists saw that it was going nowhere and one of them said to me: "Let’s put the Bible away and just be logical."
15. Beloved, that is the mark of a cult. They often put human logic above God’s revelation. Watch out for any one who says, "Let’s put the Bible away."
16. Remember, many things that seem "logical" from man’s point of view may not necessarily be Scriptural.
17. A man’s reward shall be, not according to the length of his service, nor according to the notoriety of his service, but according to his faithfulness to the opportunity afforded him.
18. Years ago, a young man surrendered to preach the Gospel and he enrolled in a Bible college. But he got real sick and the doctors told him he would soon die. He went to his pastor and said, "I’m dropping out of Bible college. I don’t have much time left so I’m going to start preaching." His pastor gave him some good advice. He said, "Son. Stay in Bible college and try and finish your courses. If the Lord should call you home before you graduate, you will get the same reward as if you were preaching for 50 years."
19. We are incapable of judging what is the right reward because ability, opportunity, and many other factors, have to be taken into account, and only God can properly do that. We can be sure that God will never be less than just, but He will often be a great deal more than just.

III. REWARDS ARE BASED UPON GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY (20:15).

1. "There is no attribute of God more comforting to His children than the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty" (CHS).
2. Another Christian put it this way: "Since God does the initiating, He must be responsible for the consequences" (W. Glyn Evans).
3. "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?" (20:15a). God is sovereign and can do whatever He pleases.
4. "Is thine evil, because I am good?" (20:15b). An "evil eye" was a common Jewish expression for a jealous or grudging spirit (cf. Deut.15:9).
5. Some people expect to be first in the coming judgment but in fact they will be last because their service was inspired by pride and selfish ambition. Others who were not recognized much in this world will be highly honored because they served God with a pure heart (19:30; 20:16a).
6. Our Lord concludes by saying: "for many be called, but few chosen" (20:16b). Those who murmured got their pay and were dismissed. The householder said, "Take that thine is, and go thy way…" (20:14). They were not chosen.
7. Our Lord expounded upon this later on in the parable of the marriage feast. Many were called but only a few responded (Matt.22:2-5). In other words, only a few were chosen (22:14).
8. God is calling right now – don’t turn your back on Him. Call on Him while you still have time.

CONCLUSION:

1. Some gathered here tonight are like those laborers hired early in the morning. What a wonderful time to get saved! It is a great privilege and a blessing to get saved early in life.
2. Then there are those who have reached "the third hour" (20:3). This is no time to be idle. Your youth is already spent but you are not yet old. It is time to get busy serving God.
3. And there are a few who have reached the "sixth hour" (20:5), the half-way point in life. Better get things right with God now. You have already wasted too many precious years.
4. And then there are those who have reached the "ninth hour," and even the "eleventh hour." Do not despair. There is still time left to serve the Lord. Your reward will be based on God’s grace, not your length of service. God says, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" (20:6b).
5. Get to work. The fields are white unto harvest, but the laborers are few.