If you haven't got a Bible with you, please, you can get one now and you might want to
take some notes as well in the pen there at the table at the back as you came in.
Thank you.
So Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 20.
Last week, Jason, our guest speaker, was talking about greatness in the kingdom.
Today we're going to be thinking about entering the kingdom.
Let's read from Matthew, Chapter 20, verse 1 to verse 16.
Jesus is speaking.
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers
for his vineyard.
He agreed to pay them a denarius, that's a day's wage, and sent them into his vineyard.
About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.
He told them, you also go and work in my vineyard and I will pay you whatever is right.
So they went.
He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.
About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around.
He asked them, why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?
Because no one has hired us, they answered.
He said to them, you also go and work in my vineyard.
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, call the workers and pay
them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.
The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.
So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more.
But each one of them also received a denarius.
When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
Those who were hired last worked only one hour, they said.
And you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work of the heat of the day.
But he answered one of them, I am not being unfair to you, friend.
Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?
Take your pay and go.
I want to give the one who is hired last the same as I gave you.
Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money?
Or are you envious?
Because I am generous.
So, the last will be first and the first will be last.
Well, let's pray.
Father, in your grace and because you are kind and compassionate,
would you pour out your blessing upon us as we gather here,
upon our Sunday school as they meet at the same time.
Father, in your grace,
would you pour out your spirit generously,
so that we may be moved,
captured by your word afresh,
and changed
to see the wonder of who you are
and the life you've called us to live.
So help us all, we pray, in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, the other day I was driving to Mahon Point.
It was very busy,
so everybody was on the hunt for a parking space.
And being a good boy that I am,
I waited patiently for someone to leave so that I could park.
Eventually, I spotted a car move down one of the aisles.
And as I made my way up that row of cars,
guess what happened?
Another car, who had just arrived,
went in ahead of me.
Couldn't believe it.
I won't tell you what I said or what I thought.
I wonder if that's ever happened to you.
So frustrating,
so annoying.
I was there first.
I deserved that parking space.
They were last in line.
It's not right.
And it's not fair.
Well, Jesus has been teaching about who enters the kingdom of heaven.
But it's not as we expect.
Have a look back with me in chapter 19,
verse 14.
Jesus said,
Let the little children come to me.
Now remember,
children in that society were considered nobodies.
They were the least and the last.
But, says Jesus,
do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
And then in contrast,
have a look at verse 23.
Jesus said to his disciples,
Truly I tell you,
it is hard for someone who is rich
to enter the kingdom.
The rich are the people of power and influence.
They are the best and they are first.
But, says Jesus,
it is hard for someone who is rich
to enter the kingdom of heaven.
You see, this is a reversal of the world's values.
It turns everything upside down.
As Jesus concludes in verse 30,
chapter 19,
But many who are first will be last.
And many who are last will be first.
How can this be?
It seems so unfair,
so unjust.
Well, Jesus tells us a parable
so that we might understand
who enters the kingdom.
Chapter 20, verse 1.
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out early in the morning
to hire workers for his vineyard.
A parable,
the story that Jesus is telling,
is a practical story
which highlights a spiritual reality.
In other words,
it's a story with a deeper meaning.
So in this parable,
the vineyard represents the kingdom of heaven.
The landowner represents Jesus.
And the workers represent those
who enter the kingdom.
It's a story that shows us
that entrance into the kingdom
is all by grace.
Grace is that key
that opens the door into the kingdom.
So three things I want us to see this morning
from this story.
We're going to look at the welcome of grace,
the scandal of grace,
and the generosity of grace.
Welcome, scandal, and generosity.
So first, the welcome of grace.
Let's read verse 1 again.
For the kingdom of heaven
is like a landowner
who went out early in the morning
to hire workers for his vineyard.
It's a typical scene.
The landowner goes off to the town
to the unemployment centre.
He goes early in the morning.
It's about 6am at sunrise
when the working day started.
And he finds himself some workers.
An arrangement is made
and everybody's happy.
Verse 2,
he agreed to pay them a denarius.
Which, if you have a note
in the bottom of your Bible there,
says it's a daily wage
for a labourer.
Now that's extremely generous
for somebody who would be unskilled.
So he agreed to pay them
a day's wage
and he sent them into the vineyard.
But it seems the landowner
has more room for workers.
So he goes back down to job seekers
and we're told in the text
that four more times he goes.
He goes back at 9am,
12pm,
3pm,
and then again at 5pm.
Each time he hires more workers.
Now this isn't a story
about how to reduce the unemployment.
It's a story to tell us
about God's heart.
You see, there's an order here.
Because it appears that the ones
who are up early
and who are first in the queue,
well, they're the ones that get hired.
They're fit and healthy.
They're the best of the bunch.
They get employed first.
And as the day goes by,
the standard of employee
begins to drop significantly.
As the best have been taken,
so the dregs are left behind.
The lazy,
the good for nothing,
the weak.
The ones who always arrive late
and go home early.
You know the type.
Always taking their smoke break
and their tea break.
They're the best of the people
faffing about,
wasting their day.
But that doesn't seem
to bother the landowner.
Verse 6.
About five in the afternoon,
he went out and found
still others standing around.
He asked them,
why have you been standing here
all day long doing nothing?
They're just hanging about,
idle.
Verse 7.
Because no one has hired us.
I wonder why.
He said to them,
you also go and work
in my vineyard.
You see,
it's not just the best
and the brightest
who get employed,
but it's also the least
and the last.
Because when it comes
to the kingdom of heaven,
no one is outside
the welcome of God's grace.
It's like this.
Perhaps you know someone
who heard the gospel.
Maybe this is you.
You heard the gospel
and you responded straight away.
You repented of your sins.
You turned to faith in Jesus.
You were baptized
as a sign of your desire
to follow him.
You've been committed
to your local church.
You serve and you give
as you're able.
In fact,
your whole life
has been about
putting the kingdom first.
But maybe you know others
who also hear the gospel.
They've heard it
many, many times.
But they ignore it
and they reject it.
They make false commitments
and promises.
Oh yes,
I'll be there.
I'm going to change my life
for real this time.
But living as they please
and they think of no one else
but themselves.
But then late on in life,
they do turn in repentance
and put their faith
in Christ.
What do you think of that?
put yourself into this story.
Think of yourself
as the landowner.
Who would you employ?
Well,
as I thought about it,
I would only employ
the 6am workers.
I might
employ the 9am ones too.
But I'm certainly
not going to employ
anybody after that.
Certainly not the 5pm hangabouts.
But when it comes
to the kingdom of heaven,
no one
is written off.
Those who avail
of the opportunity
and respond straight away
and those who
misuse the opportunity
and respond late,
they're both
welcome.
Now this is
good news
for you and I.
because perhaps
you feel
you've wasted
your life.
Maybe you feel
you've blown it.
Used every opportunity
and chance
you could possibly get.
And everybody else
just writes you off.
But God
writes no one off.
You see,
it doesn't matter
whether you're a 6am-er
or a 5pm-er.
Know this.
Today
is an opportunity
to respond
to the good
and gracious
call of God.
Don't waste it.
The landowner
is looking
to hire
workers
for the vineyard.
and we are
all
welcomed.
So,
the welcome
of grace.
Second,
there's
scandalous
grace.
Read with me
verse 8.
When evening
came,
when the day's
work had been
done,
the owner
of the vineyard
said to his
foreman,
call the workers
and pay them
their wages,
beginning with
the last ones
hired and going
on to the first.
Now,
that just seems
all out of place,
doesn't it?
Surely,
the ones who
were hired
first
should get
paid first.
But this all
seems to be
round the wrong
way.
The last ones
getting paid
first,
I mean,
that's scandalous.
There's both
a surprise
and a shock.
Look at the
surprise in
verse 9.
The workers
who were hired
about five
in the afternoon
came and
each received
a denarius,
a full day's
wage.
Those who
had started
late,
who had got
hired last,
who only
got to work
one hour,
if even
that,
also get
a full
day's
wage.
Well,
you think,
if the
landowner
is so
generous
to these
guys,
it can
only mean
one thing.
Verse 10.
So,
when those
who were
hired first,
they received,
expected to
receive more.
I mean,
the landowner
is going to
give us a
bonus here
for what
we've done.
but each
one of them
also
received a
denarius.
They're
shocked.
They're
stunned.
It's a
complete reversal
of how
we do
things.
You see,
in the
world's
economy,
it's all
about
performance.
Everything
is measured
by what
I do.
We learn
it from
when we
are small,
don't we?
get your
homework
right and
I'll give
you a
gold star.
Keep your
room tidy
and you'll
get more
pocket money.
Win the
race or
win your
match and
people are
going to
love you.
Gets a
little bit
more sophisticated
but it's
the same
as we get
older.
Work hard
and you'll
get the
promotion.
Look well
and keep
fit and
you will
have the
partner of
your choice.
better
yourself
and you
will have
a better
life.
Performance,
performance,
performance.
Do well
and you
will get
what you
want.
Do badly
and you
will lose
out forever.
That's the
message we've
grown up
with.
And that's
what we
think is
the message
about the
kingdom of
heaven.
Well,
the way
of the
kingdom
is not
the way
of the
world.
It's
never
about
our
performance
but God's
acceptance
of us
in Christ.
You see,
Jesus is
teaching us
that our
performance
counts for
nothing.
If performance
mattered,
then the
ones in
this story
who had
worked
longer and
harder
would have
received
way more.
and if
performance
counted,
then those
who had
worked
shorter
and didn't
even break
a sweat
would have
received
less.
But in
God's
economy,
each one
gets the
same
because it's
all by
grace.
You see,
the only
performance
that counts
is what
Christ has
done for
you.
Christ
does
everything.
Jesus has
lived the
perfect life
for you.
He never
sinned.
He obeyed
God perfectly
for you
and for
me.
He lives
the life
that we
could never
live.
But more
than that,
Jesus dies
our death
for us.
He was
treated as
sinful for
us.
He was
punished for
our disobedience.
Jesus died
the death
that we
deserve.
But as
we simply
trust him
through faith,
we receive
God's
good and
gracious
free gift,
the forgiveness
of all
our sins.
Maybe
there's sin
that's weighing
you down
today.
He forgives
all your
sin.
God's
presence of
the
transforming
spirit,
God
living within
you.
This is
what we
receive.
The joy
of being
adopted
into God's
family to
talk to the
creator of
the universe
as our
father who
gives good
gifts continually
to his
children,
the support
of his
family,
brothers and
sisters around
us today,
the guarantee
of life in
God's
eternal
kingdom where
everything will
be put
right.
All
freely
given
to you
to receive
because of
what Christ
has done
for you.
Our
performance
counts for
nothing,
zilch,
zero,
nada.
The only
performance that
counts is what
Christ has
done.
God
pays out
to us
what
someone else
has earned
for us.
God
pays out
to you
today
what
Christ has
earned
for you.
That's the
scandal
of grace.
So there's
the welcome,
there's the
scandal,
and there's
generous
grace.
Look at
verse 11.
When those
who had
been hired
first,
when they
received
their pay,
they began
to grumble
against the
landowner.
These who
were hired
last worked
only one
hour,
they said,
people
and you've
made them
equal to
us,
who have
borne the
burden of
the work
and the
heat of
the day.
Time to
get the
unions
involved.
This is
outrageous.
I mean,
who wouldn't
be annoyed?
These guys
have done
little to
nothing,
and they're
getting the
same.
I have
sympathy for
those who
are up at
6am to
go to
work,
these hard
working
people.
If that
were you
and I in
this situation,
we'd be out,
wouldn't
be,
with our
placards,
equal pay,
taking to
social media.
It's
completely
unfair.
Where's the
justice in
any of
this?
Verse 13.
But the
landowner
answered one
of them,
I am not
being unfair
to you,
friend.
Didn't you
agree to
work for
a denarius?
Take your
pay and
go.
You see,
the landowner
has cheated
no one.
He's treated
everyone
fairly.
They got
paid what
was agreed.
In fact,
they've all
got more
than what
they deserved.
You see,
we need to
remember that
what we
receive from
God is
not because
of our
performance,
but because
of his
grace to
us.
You see,
at one
level,
these guys
are right
to grumble.
We associate
with them,
don't we?
We feel
their heartache
and their
pain.
This is
not fair.
But that's
the point.
You see,
think about it.
If God
were to
treat us
fairly,
we would
get nothing.
If God
were to
treat us
justly,
then we
would have
to pay for
our own
sin,
and we
would have
to face
his wrath.
If it's
fairness from
God that
we want,
then hell
is what
we've
earned and
what we
deserve.
You see,
grace by
definition
is never
fair.
Because grace
is receiving
what we
cannot earn
and what we
don't deserve.
That's
not fair.
But are we
going to
grumble
about that?
I don't
think so.
Three things.
to think
about as
we close
that we
must get
to grips
with.
Here's the
first.
God
desires
to give
grace.
Look at
verse 14.
The
landowner,
take
your pay
and go.
I
want to
give the
one who
was hired
last
the same
as I
gave you.
I
want to
give.
God
is not
a mean,
tight-fisted,
vengeful
God
looking to
squash any
unsuspecting
sinner.
No,
God is
generous.
He
longs to
give
grace.
Consider
how God
has revealed
his character
to us.
Just look
with me,
please.
Keep your
finger in
Matthew 20
and just
jump back
to Psalm
103.
Psalm
103.
Psalm
103.
Psalm
103.
And let's
just take in
God's
character,
how he
describes
himself,
how he
reveals his
nature to
us.
The
psalmist is
recording a
terrible event
in Israel's
past,
where they
sinned awfully.
But this was
the response.
Verse 7.
God made
known his
ways to
Moses,
his deeds
to the
people of
Israel.
The
Lord is
compassionate
and gracious,
slow to
anger,
abounding
in love.
He will
not always
accuse.
He will
not harbour
his anger
forever.
He does
not treat
us as our
sins deserve
or repay
us according
to our
iniquities.
For as
high as the
heavens are
above the
earth, so
great is
his love
for those
who fear
him.
As far
as the
east is
from the
west, so
far has
he removed
our
transgressions
from us.
I want to
sing that
song again,
don't you?
Back to
Matthew 20.
God does
not ignore
our sin.
It says
very clearly
he will deal
with it, but
his heart is
one of
compassion.
He is
abounding
in love.
He desires
to give
grace.
And this
is the
God who
comes to
each one
of us
today.
Whoever we
are, whatever
you have
done, he
loves you.
He loves
you.
His heart
is for
you.
God desires
to give
grace.
Second, God
distributes
his grace
as he
pleases.
Look at
verse 15,
Matthew
chapter 20,
verse 15.
Don't I
have the
right to
do what
I want
with
my
own
money?
me?
Or are
you
envious
because I
am
generous?
Again, it's
speaking of
God, isn't
it?
Grace
is God's.
Grace
belongs to
God's.
It's his
property.
Therefore, it's
for God to
give as
he pleases.
I don't
have any
right to
it.
You have
no claim
to it.
So who
are any
of us
to say
God
can't
give
grace to
this
person
or he
can't
give
grace to
that
person?
Who
are we
to tell
God
what to
do
with his
grace?
We need
to understand
that what
God does
is always
right.
He
discerns,
he
decides,
and he
distributes
as he
pleases.
It might
seem
unfair
to us,
but we
can be
sure that
everything
God does
is always
fair and
always
just.
With
God, no
one is
ever
treated
unfairly.
Ever.
So he
desires,
he
distributes,
and
God
demands
grace
from
those
who
receive
grace.
Grace
is always
unearned
and undeserved,
so none
of us
here can
think of
ourselves
as superior
to anyone
else,
and none
of us
need to
feel
inferior
to anyone
else.
Let's
just read
verse 11
and 12
again.
when they
had received
it,
their day's
wage,
they began
to grumble
against the
landowner.
Those who
were hired
last worked
only one
hour,
they said,
and you
have made
them equal
to us
who have
borne the
burden of
the work
and the
heat of
the day.
grace
does.
It makes
us all
equal.
It levels
the playing
field.
It doesn't
matter who
you are
or where
you come
from.
It doesn't
matter your
background,
your position,
your status,
the address,
the colour
of your skin.
The only
reason any
of us can
give for
being in
the kingdom
of God
is grace.
I cannot
claim to be
better than
you,
and you
cannot claim
to be
better than
me.
Now,
at one
level,
that's easy
for us
to say,
isn't it?
But it's
sure hard,
very difficult
to live.
Perhaps
you're
thinking about
someone in
particular.
Maybe
someone has
hurt you.
Maybe
somebody has
wronged
you.
Trust has
been broken,
lies have
been told,
repentance
has not
been
forthcoming.
Well,
the last
thing we
want to
do for
that person
is show
them grace,
right?
Let's be
honest.
We want
them to get
what they
deserve,
so I
won't talk
to them.
We want
them to get
what they
earn,
so I will
make sure
they feel
what I
feel.
well,
let's
together
this
morning
look
afresh
into the
mirror of
God's
grace.
And as
we look
into the
mirror of
God's
grace,
what do
we see?
One who
has received
undeserved
grace.
We have
no claim,
we have
no right,
but through
Christ we
have received
his gracious
favour and
blessing.
Look into
the mirror
and we
will see
that we're
all equal.
Because the
evidence that
I have
received
grace,
the evidence
that you
have received
grace,
is that you
will show
grace to
others.
I will
welcome others
just as
Christ has
welcomed me.
I will
be scandalous
in my
dealings with
others,
in my
generosity
towards
them.
How we
treat each
other
will tell
us if
I am a
bitter
grumbler
who angrily
holds on
to grace
or a
generous
giver who
desires to
distribute
his grace.
grace.
What are
you today?
Are you a
bitter grumbler
withholding
grace from
someone?
Or are you a
generous giver
who desires to
distribute that
grace?
So,
verse 16,
the last
will be
first
and the
first
will be
last.
In God's
economy,
everything is
turned upside
down.
No superiority
and no
inferiority.
All are
equal.
grace is
the key
that will
open the
door to
the kingdom
of heaven.
Let's just
take a moment
to reflect
as we
pray.
Amen.
Father, thank
you for the
welcome of
your grace
to us.
Thank you
for that
surprising,
shocking
grace
that gives
to us more
than we could
ever expect
or imagine.
Thank you,
Father, for
your generosity
to us.
Undeserving
as we are,
yet you have
made us
rich.
We praise
you, we
thank you.
Help us
to be
changed by
your grace
that we
are no longer
a bitter
grumbler
but a
generous
giver.
Change
your hearts.
Mould
us and
shape us.
Father,
in your
goodness,
pour out
your grace
upon us
afresh.
In
Jesus'
name.
Amen.
Well,
we're going
to sing a
well-known
song.
Amazing
grace,
how sweet
the sound.
It's grace
that begins
the journey,
grace that
will keep
us on
the journey
and grace
that will
see us
through to
our home
with Him.
It's not
because of
us.
Thank you.