15 July 2018 (5.30pm service, New Creation Church at Star Vista)
- Sermon delivered by Pastor Joseph Prince
Sermon Notes (Note: These are personal
notes and not a transcription of the sermon.)
I.
Receiving a Hundredfold
Peter had asked questions which gave us insights today.
Matthew 19:27-30
Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.
Therefore what shall we have?”
So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say
to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His
glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone
who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or
children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit
eternal life. But many who are first will be
last, and the last first.
If
you are doing mission work for the love of the Lord, for His name’s sake, then
you will get a hundredfold reward. You should not be doing so for personal reasons,
for instance, to meet someone, to impress someone or for self-glorification.
Mark 10:29-30
So Jesus
answered and said, “Assuredly,
I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or
father or mother
or wife or
children or
lands, for My
sake and the gospel’s,
who
shall not receive a hundredfold now in
this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and
lands, with
persecutions—and
in the age to come, eternal life.
“hundredfold now in this time”
We
are all blessed and highly favored. We have passed from death and judgment into
life. We will receive our hundredfold in this time, and not receiving it only when
we are in Heaven. However, we are all at different levels of blessings.
II.
How to Receive
a Hundredfold?
“first
will be last, and the last first”
-
- What does that mean?
Let’s look at
“The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard:
Matthew 19:27-20:16
The
Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the
morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now
when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them
into his vineyard. And he went out about
the third hour [9am] and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and
said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give
you.’ So they went. Again
he went out about the sixth [12noon] and the ninth hour [3pm], and did likewise.
And about the eleventh hour [5pm] he
went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been
standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no
one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is
right you will receive.’
“So when evening [6pm] had come, the
owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last
to the first.’ And when those came who were
hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when
the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise
received each a denarius. And when
they had received it, they
complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only
one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat
of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said,
‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did
you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is
it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are
called, but few chosen.”
The
landowner is our Lord Jesus.
“when the first came, they supposed that
they would receive more”
-
The first who worked for the day from early in the
morning supposed they will receive more. However, they received the same as
those who worked for 1 to 9 hour(s).
And when they had received it, they complained against the
landowner, saying, ‘These last men
have worked only one hour, and
you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’
- They complained. In the Bible, when the child of
Israel complained, unfortunate things happened.
1 Corinthians: 10:10
nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed
by the destroyer.
The
first batch of the laborers complained as they started to compare themselves
with others. If their eyes are on Jesus, they will not complain. They will see the goodness of the Lord instead. Here, the laborers will see the act of the landowner as being generous.
We
tend not to be jealous of people in a different job capacity. For instance, a doctor
normally will not be jealous of a pastor and vice versa. Also, people of the
same gender may be jealous of each other. For instance, a girl is normally
jealous of another girl; a guy may be jealous of another guy.
Or,
people within similar age group will be jealous of each other. A young person
normally would not get jealous with the grandmother.
When
we are aware of that, we know that we are always unhappy as we start to compare
with others. For instance, comparing with people who are richer or with more
“likes” on social media.
Men’s
heart is never satisfied with all the convenience and breakthroughs we have
(some examples are TV, air-con and automobile).
“Complaint”
is one of the key subjects that the verse has revealed the underlying meaning
to Pastor.
John
knew that he was loved by the Lord, and John believed it.
Place
our eyes on Jesus, and not putting our eyes on others.
Based
on an agreement type of system is called “the law”. How can we identify the area
which we uphold our “self-righteousness”?
Whichever
area of our anxiety, that is our area of self -righteousness.
“Did you not agree with me for a denarius?”
-
The landowners and laborers have made an agreement.
“whatever
is right I will give you.”
According
to the Jewish day, a Jewish day ends at 12th hour [6pm].
The
Jewish still celebrate their coming day at 6pm.
God’s
system is often to begin with the last then to the first.
“When evening had come”
-
We are the evening generation.
As
a child of God, when the world gets darker, we will get brighter and brighter.
When
you are weak, you are strong as His strength is the strength that is flowing
into you- from God.
“For many are called, but few
chosen.”
-
In terms of blessings and rewards, there are different
levels of blessings and rewards.
-
All of them are called. However, God chooses the ones that allow Him to show Himself in the goodness of his heart.
All of them are called. However, God chooses the ones that allow Him to show Himself in the goodness of his heart.
God
does not undervalue work. He values simple faith in Him, His work, and His
goodness. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God.
Why
are some Christians more grateful to the Lord?
Some
Christians only have some sense of thankfulness. They still feel that they have
achieved due to partial effort which comes from oneself, and some from the Lord.
We
can trust the Lord fully.
Between
the 9am and 5pm batches of laborers, who do you think is most grateful?
5pm.
Even
among believers, some who are “fully graced” have received more.
Some
are chosen to show the goodness of His heart.
Psalm 132:13-16
For the Lord has chosen
Zion;
He has desired
it for His dwelling place:
“This is My resting place forever;
Here I will
dwell, for I have desired it.
I will
abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy
her poor with bread.
I will also clothe
her priests with salvation,
And her saints
shall shout aloud for joy.
Zion
was chosen.
You
are seeing God all the time.
God
said “I went out to them. They didn’t come to me.”
How many times has He reached out to the people in the parable? (Matthew
19:27-20:16)
Five
– The number of GRACE
III.
Conclusion
Among
Christians, there are some who will receive more.
“whatever is right you will receive.”
-
The landowner said the above to the last batch of
laborers who started work at the eleventh hour. However, he said to the
previous three batches “whatever is right I will give you.”
There
is a difference between “will give” and “will receive”.
“Whatever is right you will receive.”
The
end-time generation will receive.
God
is giving, and we pray for the blessings to be manifested. Prayer is nothing
more than receiving.
We
should see prayer as receiving. That is what prayer is about.
The
water has a way of finding the lowest places. The lowest will win.
The
less you think you can do, the more God will do for you.
“the
owner of the vineyard said to his steward”
Holy
Spirit is the unknown “steward”. It is the steward that supplies the people.
Ruth 2:12
The Lord repay your work, and a
full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under
whose wings you have come for refuge.”
We
go to God for refuge. He rewards us for taking refuge in him.
