The First Will Be Last, And The Last First

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 12^th 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.

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.