The Lord of the Harvest

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The Lord of the Harvest
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Matthew 201-3 (Net Bible)

• 1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
  who went out early in the morning to hire workers
  for his vineyard.
• 2 And after agreeing with the workers for the
  standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
• 3 When it was about nine oclock in the morning,
  he went out again and saw others standing around
  in the marketplace without work.

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Matthew 204-6

• 4 He said to them, You go into the vineyard too,
  and I will give you whatever is right.
• 5 So they went. When he went out again about noon
  and three oclock that afternoon, he did the same
  thing.
• 6 And about five oclock that afternoon he went
  out and found others standing around, and said to
  them, Why are you standing here all day without
  work?

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Matthew 207-9

• 7 They said to him, Because no one hired us. He
  said to them, You go and work in the vineyard
  too.
• 8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard
  said to his manager, Call the workers and give
  the pay starting with the last hired until the
  first.
• 9 When those hired about five oclock came, each
  received a full days pay.

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Matthew 2010-12

• 10 And when those hired first came, they thought
  they would receive more. But each one also
  received the standard wage.
• 11 When they received it, they began to complain
  against the landowner,
• 12 saying, These last fellows worked one hour,
  and you have made them equal to us who bore the
  hardship and burning heat of the day.

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Matthew 2013-16

• 13 And the landowner replied to one of them,
  Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didnt
  you agree with me to work for the standard wage?
• 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to
  this last man the same as I gave to you.
• 15 Am I not permitted to do what I want with what
  belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am
  generous?
• 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.

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Purpose of this parable

• Jesus explains the statement he made in 1930 and
  2016 So the last will be first, and the first
  last.
• 1 Israelites who were first chosen by God and
  they rejected to follow Gods laws and Jesus. God
  then turned to the gentiles.
• 2 The one who is willing to give up earthly
  things in order to follow Jesus and work for him.
  He still needs to work patiently until the pay
  day (the regeneration).

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Key Messages of this parable

• Are you still standing around without work? It is
  a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven. How can we
  inherit the eternal life?
• We will receive the same pay check (eternal life)
  from the Lord if we enter into his vineyard
  (Kingdom of Heaven)
• Work hard to reap in his vineyard the harvest
  is plentiful but the workers are few
• The King of the Kingdom of Heaven

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The King of Heaven

• He is the Lord of the Harvest he desires to
  have a good harvest
• He is the landowner he went out by himself five
  times to call for workers
• He is a fair and generous master
• His is a grace Giver grace in all and grace for
  all

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Free Grace according to John Wesley

• Prevenient (preparing) grace - grace that is
  coming before
• Accepting (justifying) grace - conversion
• Sustaining (sanctifying) grace toward
  perfection

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Harvest Aessessment
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Harvest Assessment
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What can we learn from this harvest assessment ?

• Unexpected to be hired at 500 pm the
  satisfaction level must be highest
• More hours you have worked, more fruits you will
  reap
• The satisfaction level of the Lord of Harvest
  will be highest to those who worked longer hours
  and harder for his vineyard

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Two Essential Questions

• Are you still standing around outside the
  vineyard? Inherit the eternal life
• Are you reaping for our gracious master? Bearing
  fruits