Bro Gary Sunday Morning 7/10/11

Bro Gary Sunday Morning 7/10/11

Mat 20:1  For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

Mat 20:2  And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Mat 20:3  And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

Mat 20:4  And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Mat 20:5  Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

Mat 20:6  And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

Mat 20:7  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.

Mat 20:8  So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

Mat 20:9  And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

Mat 20:10  But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

Mat 20:11  And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

Mat 20:12  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.

Mat 20:13  But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

Mat 20:14  Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

The Called Laborer: A parable that is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. 

Jesus called laborers to go into His vineyard.  Jesus is the author of this parable, a parable written of man may not have much bearing on you unless of interest to you.  This parable is inspired by God and deals with the kingdom of God and God’s church on earth. 

A householder is one of authority.  This is dealing with one of great authority, Jesus and God the Father.  This one of authority called hired laborers.  They were hired to work in a specific place, a vineyard. 

A vineyard is designed to be beautiful; God ordained it that way.  He is the author of all good things.  A vineyard requires much care: the soil in a vineyard must be a prepared soil, the rocks, the weeds, and the dead roots must be removed. 

The vines in a vineyard need support.  There needs to be laborers supporting the vines if they are to bear much fruit and be heavy.  The laborers are to prune the dead branches and any that have been affected by the little foxes or the bears.  We’ve seen the effects of bears on trees; they will tear up the branches on an apple tree climbing into it to get the fruit.  The vineyard is to be protected from anything that would hurt or destroy.

In harvest time, all the family and all the laborers are out in the vineyard.  At the time of harvest there are those that are put in a station to watch because the fruit is so precious.  God help us to not be taking on more than we can handle so that we have no time to labor for God. 

The husbandman went out early in the morning.  There is a call of God that comes to us early in life; it is a call upon the soul, the heart and the conscience.  We are so blessed this morning!  We could all tell of the difficulties in life, but I want each of us to realize that we are very blessed.  Each of us can read.  Each has their own bible.  Each has a bed to kneel beside to pray, a chair. 

At the first hour, early, Jesus went out.  I make a strong appeal to each of you that is here this morning; those with children have a great treasure in their children.  The greatest influence on a child’s life is what their mother and father do.  Your children know your testimony. 

We have a great responsibility of doing what is really important in this life and not getting bogged down in the cares so that we forget what is important in life.  When someone hears the call, the first call, it is important that they answer.

I think of the call of the world that goes out to these children.  The call of the world doesn’t just take one out of a thousand and then they’re thrown aside and their life is ruined and wasted.  For some it is too late, all their character has been destroyed and their mind.  It isn’t that God wouldn’t draw on them; they don’t have mind to get to God.

The call to our conscience, God created us with a conscience.  People can callous their conscience, they think that “Someday I will do something for God.”  If you’re thinking someday, then it will never happen.

At six in the morning He went out and hired laborers and there was still more work to be done so he went back to the market place and there were more idle that He hired.    He went at noon and hired some more. 

There were probably some less desirable jobs.  The new man on the job usually gets the less desirable jobs.  He went out about 3 PM and hired some more, just an hour before quitting time, they worked 12 hour days, at 5 o’clock He went out and hired some more laborers.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

God help us to realize what real pay is.  May God help this preacher to have a vision that our labor is not in vain in the lord.

2Co 5:9  Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

The thought is, “Dear God, whether I feel you so close or whether I feel that I’m laboring.”  Sometimes it is labor to read the bible and sometimes it is heaven on earth.  Sometimes it is labor to pray, we labor to get into the closet to not be distracted.  God help me to do that which you’ve called me to do.  To labor so that whether I’m feeling close to God or just laboring, that I will be obedient to the call.

1Th 1:2  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

1Th 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Whatever God has laid upon your heart to do, don’t expect the visual to be accommodating to your work.  Otherwise it will not be a work of faith.  You’re mind will tell you that they will not be interested in coming to church; it is a labor of faith and love.  May God open our eyes to see the beauty of laboring in God’s vineyard.

Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Heb 6:11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

Heb 6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

If we are not careful, we will get mixed up and lose our way in forgetting that we’ve been called to labor. 

Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

I thought of D.S. Warner as I worked on this.  He was lied on, separated from his children, mistreated, and didn’t have much of this worlds goods, but he was called to labor.  God help me to realize that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.

P 311 in the Hymnal, There Is Joy In The Service of The Master:

There is joy in the service of the master, Let me sing of the glory I have found;
Since I gave all to Jesus and his favor gained, O wondrous streams of joy forever abound!

Could you bring me the treasures of the ocean, Could you offer the golden stores of earth. 
I would sing, “Hallelujah, I’ve a greater wealth, I have my savior’s love, a heavenly birth.” 

If we’re not careful, we will allow the difficulty of life, and of the day, the difficulty of bearing the heat of the burden, and the choices of others to hinder our serving God. 

If it is things that are tangible that you think will make you happy, you will be unhappy every day of your life.  As much as we love our children, as much as we hope that they will be able to get it together spiritually, whether they are here or not here we can have joy in our soul. 

I thank God for all the good things that we have to enjoy.  We are the most blessed people in the world.  Because we have long winters we really enjoy summer.  I don’t know how long it would take emergency vehicles to respond to our house if we called 911, but in less than 2 or 3 minutes we could have saints at our house when we’re in need.  I come to church Wednesday night and Sunday when there are those that help with the services that have labored.  To have someone laboring to see the eternal truths of God’s word planted in souls, we are so blessed.

“With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation.”  “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” 

There will be no joy if there is no deep labor.  We live in a society that wants everything instant.  There is no comparison between a homemade loaf of bread and a loaf of Eddies you buy at the store.  We live in a world where people don’t want to labor at anything; they want to cook out of the microwave.  It doesn’t take much effort to go to the store and buy bread.  Labor spiritually.

Mat 20:8  So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

Mat 20:9  And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

A penny was a day’s wage; those that were hired on the last hour got a full day’s wage.  If you are here this morning, this could be the 11^th hour for everyone in the thought that Jesus might come today. 

You may be up in age, you can have God, you can seek Him and you can find Him.  When you become a son of God, He will emphasize to your heart that your sins are forgiven.  That life of sin is gone; He said that he would bury your sin in the depths of the sea.  At the eleventh hour, he says, I will give you full pay.

Mat 20:10  But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

Mat 20:11  And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

Mat 20:12  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.

He said that they murmured.  This means they complained.  Labor for God.  Labor for God without complaining. 

33 years later Jude wrote:

Jud 1:16  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

Jude was writing to and about people that were around the church.  Murmuring and complaining here in Jude means faultfinding.  I’m amazed at people, they have many yardsticks, for themselves it is immeasurablely long.  But for anybody else, especially if it is not who they are endeavoring to impress. it is a yardstick that is shrunken.  Murmurers and complainers are lustful people in that all they are concerned about is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, they speak wonderful words and are so spiritually insightful until it comes to someone they don’t like. 

You may have been taken advantage of and mistreated, but Jesus Christ came to heal.  You cannot blame your parents.  You cannot blame God.  You may have spent years in Babylon and have been around whatever evil, the Word of God cleanses us, there is a way out and there is a way to be cleansed.

Mat 20:4  And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

If you have been idle spiritually if you haven’t been reading and haven’t been praying, there is a call going out to you this morning, Jesus is saying, ‘get right.’

I’ll give you life.  Luke 6:38.  ‘My thought is to give those that are true and faithful unto me in this life.’ 

If you will give it shall be given unto you.  Carnality will make us stingy.  People will be afraid to spend any money.  If God has laid it upon your heart to help someone, put your money to work.  “Give and it shall be given unto you.”  Sometimes it is: give kindness, give time, give the right words and it shall be given unto you a good measure pressed down.

Romans 8: What can separate us from the love of God?  There is nothing that can separate you.  You think that you will go all to pieces if this one thing happens; Why?  If Karen goes before I do, it need not separate me from God.  If you’ve buried a child, it need not separate you from God. 

We might as well face it, unless Jesus comes early today, we won’t go down the road any further and we’ll know rejection.  Have we not always believed and thought that when one door closes another door opens? 

If those you love close the door on you will you avail yourself to God in such a way that you don’t murmur or complain, “That door has closed; I see another door opening.” 

There are those that you would like to help and they will not let you because they want an excuse for how they are.  When that door closes if you will seek God and say, “God I must have the joy of the Lord and it will only be mine if I labor.”  There will be another door open, souls are souls.

We all face death.  There was a man that faced death by the name of Stephen.  He said, “I see Jesus.”

The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.

Solomon said, Ecc 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful.”  There is something that is in every one of us, and all those out there, that is going to live on forever. 

If we will labor that desire to be forever with the Lord will be accomplished.  Man cannot exhaust the wonderful things of God.  I don’t see age as a crime; I see it as a beautiful season of getting ready to say goodbye and hello.  Labor; don’t be distracted; it is not worth it.  There is no excuse for not laboring, none.  I may have preached all this just for me, if any of it was for you and you need to go to the altar, come.