MATTHEW 20:1-16

1. WE CAN REJOICE BECAUSE GOD TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO CALL HIS WORKERS:
1. Throughout the text you see the landowner going to the market place. The laborers don't show up at his door; he goes where they are. He made the offer of a given wage. He kept providing employment.
2. So God formed the plan to call men to Himself, to save men and to give us all a place in His field. He initiated that plan. He took all the steps necessary to bringing it to pass. Note:
1. Ephesians 1:3-6: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."
2. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
3. 1 Peter 2:9: "But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"
3. No delegation of sinners approached with a huge amount of signatures on a petition. No delegation of angels went on our behalf. God so loved the world, God planned, God sent His Son, God calls us to Himself through the Gospel, God sends us to work in the field. He didn't wait for me to cry out to Him, but He let me hear His voice calling me! He didn't wait for me to draw near to Him, but He clothed Himself in frail humanity! And we rejoice that He took the initiative to do that.
4. Speaking of taking the initiative, I heard about one man who wanted to marry a certain woman. She didn't show any interest in him, but he was persistent. Everyday he put a love note under her apartment door. Every day she spurned his advances. But he kept writing and delivering love notes. One day she opened the door and invited him in for coffee. The two were married shortly thereafter. But the amazing thing is that the man had the initiative to write and deliver unrequited love notes for 30 years before she responded!!!

2. WE CAN REJOICE BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORKERS:
1. The landowner kept his word to his laborers. At the end of the day, he didn't try to circumvent his agreement; he didn't renege; he didn't find some loop-hole for not paying them the full amount. Each laborer received that which he had been promised.
2. So, God will not forget His faithful laborers. He will not forget, or renege, or circumvent His agreement. He will not change His mind; He will not shortchange us. Hebrews 6:10 "For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints."
3. Many others, though probably sincere, through forgetfulness, weakness, change of mind or circumstances will fail you but not God! When all around you fail, are fickle, when they desert you and let you down, remember:
1. 1 Corinthians 1:9: "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
2. 2 Corinthians 1:20: "For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us."
3. 1 Thessalonians 5:24: "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass."
4. Hebrews 6:16-18: "For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us."
4. I heard about a father who was going to the store. He promised his little boy he'd bring him some gum. He did all the shopping and just as he pulled into the drive way and saw the expectant look on his son's face, he remembered that he had forgotten the gum! Now, what would you do? Tell the little boy that bad stuff happens? Tell him to suck it up? Tell him that you forgot so get off your case? The father in this story immediately drove back to the store and bought the gum. He wanted to be faithful to his word, faithful to his character and faithful to his son.

4. WE CAN REJOICE BECAUSE GOD IS IMPARTIAL TOWARD HIS WORKERS:
1. Each worker received one denarius. A typical day's pay. Those who worked long received one denarius. Those who worked short hours received one denarius. Each was treated alike.
2. So God saves without preference. Perhaps this means that those who are saved early in life are no more saved than those who are saved in later years. While this is not an excuse to put it off til later, it is encouragement to know that as long as you live you can go to work for God and He'll pay you well. If you put your faith in Jesus Christ no matter who you are or at what stage of life He will save you, no if's and's or but's
3. Men play favorites. They favor some for their looks, or their possessions, or their abilities, or their charisma. But God is impartial.
1. Romans 2:9-11: "There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God."
2. Colossians 3:23-25: "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality."
4. This parable offends the sense of fairness for many people. Why should people get equal pay for unequal work? Well, in the first place, they'd all agreed to that wage so they had no gripe coming. In the second place, the land owner had a right to do what he wanted with his money. One man tells of when he was a boy in Canada. His mother would have all seven children sit down to peel and cut apples. She never kept track of who did how much work. The younger ones were more a nuisance than a help, but they pitched in. Cut fingers, squabbles, and apple core fights marred the day. But at the end of the day the reward for each was the same: A huge chocolate dipped ice cream cone. Even though the youngest had eaten both apples he had peeled that day, he got an impartial reward.

 
5. WE CAN REJOICE BECAUSE GOD IS GENEROUS TOWARD HIS WORKERS:
1. Each received a just amount; the amount they'd been promised and the amount they'd agreed upon. It was not a miserly wage, it was the typical day's pay. But the landowner was generous enough not to short the fellows he'd called late in the day.
2. So God generously gave His Son, and gives generous grace to all. He gave, He gives and will continue to give. God's nature is to give. Don't look at someone else and ask, "Why should she get that?" or "Why should he be so lucky?" God is generous!
3. Others might be stingy, grasping, tight-fisted and grudging, but not God.
1. Matthew 6:33: (NIV) "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
2. Matthew 7:11: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"
3. Luke 12:32: "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom."
4. Romans 8:32: "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"
5. 1 Timothy 6:17 "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy."
4. A little girl went shopping with her mother. They went into the store where her mother regularly shopped. The clerk pointed to a candy bin and invited the little girl to take some candy. She held back. "What's the matter? Don't you like candy?" the clerk asked. She nodded. Smiling, he put his hand into the bin and grabbed a bunch, put it in a sack and gave it to her. Thanking him nicely, she left with her mother. Mother asked, "Why didn't you take some candy when he offered it?" The little girl said, "Because his hand is bigger than mine!"

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