“Grace to Serve—Serve to Glorify” 10-31-21

Overview

Grace to Serve—Serve to Glorify

The parable of the laborers in the vineyard Matthew 20:1-16 overturns the world's logic of fairness. The landowner goes out repeatedly—at dawn, at nine, at noon, at three, and at five—seeking workers who stand idle. When evening comes, those hired last receive the same wage as those who bore the heat of the day. The early workers grumble, and we recognize ourselves in their complaint. Like Jonah, who fled because he knew God was "gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" Jonah 4:2, we are tempted to resent God's generosity. Like Job's friends, we want a tidy ledger where blessings match effort—but God's kingdom does not run on tit-for-tat.

Notice who does the seeking. The landowner goes out; the laborers do not apply. So it is with faith. "There is no one who seeks God" Romans 3:11, and Jesus tells His disciples, "You did not choose me, but I chose you...and appointed you to go and bear fruit" John 15:16. We were born standing idle in sin (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:3), and the wage we have earned is death Romans 6:23. What we receive instead is grace—not what we deserve. Jesus, who alone was without sin, took our wages upon Himself; "for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" 2 Corinthians 5:21.

In Baptism, God seeks us in our idleness, claims us, seals us with the Holy Spirit, and calls us into His vineyard. "We are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life" Ephesians 2:10. The candle handed to the newly baptized comes after the water, not before—a reminder that our works do not earn the call; they flow from it. We are buried with Christ in Baptism so that we might "walk in newness of life" Romans 6:4.

This is the heart of the Reformation: God saves us by grace alone, through Christ alone, and then equips us—our time, treasure, talents, and strength—to labor in His vineyard. We do not serve to earn the wage; we have already received it. So when we are tempted to begrudge those called late, or those still standing idle, we remember the friends, family, and neighbors for whom we pray, longing that the landowner would seek them too. "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" Matthew 5:16. We are called by grace to serve, and we serve to glorify God alone.

Transcript

Open to the gospel of Matthew, we are going to be diving into this parable. 2s

We have been going through Jesus' teachings, Jesus' parables for the past four weeks. 10s

I said, this is the fourth week. 16s

And we've been looking at how we are called to manage our lives by God's Word and in God's 17s

Word. 25s

And we've been using these parables to lead us and to teach us as we discern our own lives 25s

and the management and the stewardship that we have in our lives. 33s

And we are, as Christians, called into a life of service. 38s

And we're going to get to that in just one moment. 44s

But I want to take a moment to look at a couple of the old testament examples that we have 46s

who were also called into service and perhaps found themselves grumbling. 52s

Have you ever grumbled because the people around you aren't managing their lives exactly 59s

to your will? 63s

Well, we're going to find some of those here today. 67s

In Jonah, the third chapter, Jonah, this is after he had been swallowed by the fish. 70s

This is after he had run away from God's call upon his life to go to Ninevat, to 75s

preach God's repentance. 82s

And he did end up going. 85s

And in chapter three, it says, when God saw what they did that is the Ninevat, how they 87s

turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said 92s

he would bring upon them and he did not do it. 97s

But this was very displeasing to Jonah and he became angry. 100s

He prayed to the Lord and said, oh, Lord, is this not what I said while I was 106s

still in my own country? 112s

That is why I fled to Tarsheesh at the beginning for I knew you are a gracious God and 114s

merciful, slow to anger and abounding instead fast love and ready to relent from punishing. 121s

What is Jonah gripping about here? 132s

He is gripping that God is too gracious, too generous with his mercy, too willing, too 134s

forgive. 143s

And Jonah doesn't like that. 144s

In Job, we have Job, a man who lives, who is managing his life, according to God's plan, 149s

he still faces tribulation, bad things, happened to him and his friends come and they sit 163s

with him and one of his friends offers this. 170s

Think now. 173s

Who was that was innocent ever perished or where were the upright cut off? 175s

As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and so trouble reap the same. 180s

So, Job is a righteous man, but he deals with bad things in his life and his friends 188s

equate the blessings of Job with what he is doing or the punishment of Job with what he 197s

is doing or not doing. 203s

And everything comes down to a tit for tat. 205s

If you do this, I will bless you. 209s

If you don't do that, I won't bless you. 212s

If you do this, I will punish you. 214s

If you don't do this, I will bless you. 216s

But they have it backwards. 222s

They have it wrong. 224s

It does not come down to our actions. 227s

It does not come down to how we work or what we work. 231s

And this is where we come to our parable today, where this parable, like many others, 236s

but begin, the kingdom of heaven is like. 241s

I love that that is the start of the parable. 246s

Because these parables are really stories that are of this earth. 249s

They should connect with anyone and everyone, especially of that day and age. 254s

And what Jesus does with his parables is he turns the traditional, the conventional thought 260s

and teaching and thinking of the day and age and he turns it on his head. 266s

And he says, the wisdom of this world, the ways of this world, that is not the wisdom 271s

or the way of God. 280s

But the kingdom of heaven is actually like this. 282s

And this is where we're going to begin with verse 1 in our text. 288s

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire 292s

laborers for his vineyard. 297s

After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them out into his vineyard. 299s

When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 305s

And he said to them, you also go into the vineyard and I will pay you whatever is right. 310s

So they went. 315s

When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. 317s

And about five o'clock, he went out and found others standing around. 321s

And he said, why are you all standing here idle all day? 325s

They said to him, because no one has hired us. 330s

He said to them, you also go into the vineyard. 333s

Now when you drive around town or you go shopping, whether it's at a store like a supermarket 339s

or a clothing store or a restaurant, we see a lot of help wine at one of the signs these days. 344s

And if you want that job, you need to go in and apply for it. 351s

When we want a career change, when we want a position at a company, we have to seek it out. 356s

But notice who's doing the seeking here. 363s

It is not the landowner who is waiting for people to come to him to apply for a job to work in the vineyard. 367s

But he is going out. 374s

He is seeking the laborers. 376s

It's the same with us in faith. 379s

It is God who seeks us because we will not seek him. 384s

In Romans, Paul writes, there is no one who seeks God. 390s

In the gospel of John the 15th chapter, Jesus tells his disciples, 395s

you did not choose me, but I chose you. 399s

And he continues explaining why he chose them. 405s

He says, I chose you and I appointed you to go and bear fruit. 409s

Fruit that will last. 415s

Like the laborers who were called to work and serve in the vineyard, we, as baptized Christians, 419s

are called into faith to work and to serve, to live a life of faith serving others, 427s

but really serving God in our baptisms we were called into service to him. 438s

In our baptisms God seals us with his holy spirit. 446s

He claims us, he creates us new making us a new creation and saying, as this new creation, 450s

you are to go forth to bear fruit, to serve, to work. 459s

In Ephesians 2, Paul wrote, we are what he has made us. 466s

Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. 471s

We are called by our baptisms to serve. 480s

And like the workers who were called to work and serve in the vineyard, we bear the burden of our 487s

day, we bear the burden of serving in the scorching heat. 499s

And do we complain? 505s

And do we have the right to complain? 510s

It's the owner who goes out. 516s

It's not that the workers were working so hard doing such a great job while they were waiting 520s

for someone to hire them. 527s

They were working and working at the owner of the vineyard said, you know what? 528s

I see those people in their work in really hard. 532s

I think I want them to work for me. 534s

And it's the same with our faith. 537s

We can't work so hard so diligently and do the best we can for God to finally say, I want 540s

you to be a Christian. 548s

It doesn't work like that. 552s

It is not based on how much or how hard or how good we work. 556s

It is only by the grace of the land owner. 565s

It is only by the grace of God that we are called into service. 571s

All of those workers that the land owner came out to invite to work in his vineyard, 578s

it says they stood idle. 586s

They were standing idle all day waiting. 590s

The workers who are standing idle really, they're standing in sin. 596s

And as a human, as people, we are born into the idleness. 603s

We are born into the nature of sin. 612s

In Genesis 6 chapter, we read the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth 618s

and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil, continually. 625s

In Psalm 51, David wrote, indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived 632s

me. 640s

In my favorite from Ephesians 2, we were by nature children of wrath like everyone else. 641s

We are all born with that idle nature, that nature of sin, that nature that will not seek 651s

out God. 660s

We are born as the workers who stand in sin waiting, waiting for what they don't know. 663s

And the land owner comes as their standing. 676s

He seeks them out in their idleness and he invites them into the vineyard, into working 680s

in his vineyard. 687s

And just as the workers stand idle, we born into idleness, born into sin. 692s

We wait, not knowing what we're waiting for, until God calls us and invites us into his vineyard 702s

to be laborers with and for him. 714s

He seeks us to call us out of idleness. 718s

He seeks us to call us out of sinfulness. 723s

And we make excuses. 728s

We make excuses for ourselves. 731s

We make excuses for the other ones who are standing idle with us because we want everyone 733s

to be invited into the vineyard. 741s

We want everyone to reap the blessings and the benefit of salvation. 743s

But do we really? 749s

Let's go to Matthew 20 verse 8. 753s

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, call the laborers and 757s

give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first. 761s

When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 766s

Now, when the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received 770s

the usual daily wage. 776s

And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner saying, these last worked 778s

only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day 785s

and the scorching heat. 791s

That's not fair. 794s

Said Jonah says us. 799s

That's not fair, but as fairness, the point is getting what we deserve the point of being 804s

called into the vineyard because what do we deserve? 816s

Well, in Romans, the sixth chapter, it says the wages of sin, the wages of standing idle 823s

is death. 832s

Wages of sin is death that is cursed, that is outside of God. 834s

That's what we deserve. 845s

And is that what we receive? 847s

Jesus. 854s

Jesus was the only one borne without itemless, borne without sin, living under and up to the law 856s

in complete perfection. 868s

He was the only one who did not deserve the wage of sin, and yet what did he receive 871s

after flogging Jesus, pilot handed him over to be crucified. 879s

They stripped him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. 885s

They mocked him, they spat on him and took the read and struck him on the head. 891s

After mocking him, they led him away to crucify him. 898s

Is that fair? 906s

Did Jesus get what he deserved? 912s

Jesus in his grace and mercy took what we deserve upon himself. 918s

And in its place gave us his perfection, gave us his righteousness that we would be invited 925s

into the vineyard. 933s

If you recall, grace, grace is not getting what we deserve. 938s

In God's grace, he paid our debt to sin. 948s

Isaiah says it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. 952s

In 2 Corinthians Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote, 959s

for our sake, he made him that is the father made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin. 963s

So that in him, we might become the righteousness of God. 970s

In Romans, we read that we have been buried with him by baptism into death, 974s

so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so too, so we too might walk in newness of life. 980s

We are given those new lives in our baptism. 991s

Today, we celebrate the conformance. 996s

They will be celebrating their baptism. 1001s

They will be affirming their baptism. 1004s

In the baptism of liturgy. 1008s

They are handed, they, if they are old enough to hold a candle or their parents or sponsors, 1012s

our hand of the candle. 1018s

And we hear, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 1019s

We are, indeed, as a Christian people called to do good works, but the good works that we are called to do are not in order to make us worthy of being called into the vineyard, 1030s

to make us worthy of salvation. 1043s

The candle isn't given at the beginning of the baptism. 1046s

The candle is given after that person has been through the waters. 1051s

Sealed in the Holy Spirit. 1059s

Given the promise of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life with God the Father's Son, and Holy Spirit. 1062s

We are called to serve. 1074s

We are called to do good. 1076s

We are called to take part in good works, but none of the works that we do are to serve ourselves. 1078s

We are called to serve to our glory. 1089s

Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 1096s

We are called to good works to glorify God. 1106s

And the reward we receive is according to the grace of God. 1110s

It's not according to our worthiness or how long or how well we have been Christian. 1116s

Turning to verse 13, 1126s

but he replied to one of them that is the landowner replied, 1129s

friend, I am doing you no wrong. 1132s

Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 1135s

Take what belongs to you and go. 1140s

I choose to give to this last. 1142s

The same as I give to you. 1144s

Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? 1147s

Or are you envious? 1151s

Because I am generous. 1153s

So the last will be first. 1155s

And the first will be last. 1157s

All who are called into the vineyard received the same blessing. 1162s

All who are called into faith by the Holy Spirit will receive the same blessing. 1168s

In Mark chapter 16, we read the one who believes and is baptized will be saved. 1175s

And we count it as a believing Christian people. 1182s

We count it a blessing that we have already been invited into the vineyard. 1188s

We count it a blessing that we have already been called to serve the Lord and with the Lord. 1194s

And so we can't begrudge the work that God is doing in those things. 1205s

Because who remains standing idle. 1212s

We pray for those people. 1215s

Selfishly we want to grumble. 1218s

But knowing that each of us has someone in our lives, 1222s

whether it's a father, a brother, a child, a cousin, a friend, someone who we pray. 1226s

God will invite into the vineyard. 1236s

This is Reformation Sunday. 1241s

Prior to the Reformation, the church taught that those idle workers had to work really, really hard for their invitation into the vineyard. 1246s

But the Reformation was really a reclamation of the full truth of God's Word. 1259s

The full truth of both his law that we cannot save ourselves. 1266s

And the full truth of his gospel that in his grace and mercy God saves us through Jesus Christ, his son, and calls us to believe that, to know that, to be true and calls us to serve in his vineyard. 1272s

And in his grace, when he calls us into his vineyard, he gives us the tools. 1292s

The tools that we need to serve and work in his vineyard. 1299s

He gives us the time we have. He gives us the treasure we have. 1304s

He gives us the talents, the gifts, the skills and abilities that we have. 1308s

And the strength to go forth, working regardless of the burden or the scorching heat. 1314s

He strengthens us and empowers us and we celebrate that we have been called into that vineyard. 1323s

And we work not to satisfy ourselves, not to satisfy our own desire of glory. 1334s

We are called by grace and grace alone to serve. 1342s

And we serve to glorify God and God alone. Amen. 1348s