The Eleventh Hour

1
The Eleventh Hour

• Its never too late to receive the Lords
  generosity.
• Matthew 201-16

2
The Parable Story

• For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who
  went out early in the morning to hire laborers
  for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the
  laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them
  into his vineyard.
• Matt. 201-2

• Characters
• The landowner Christ
• The laborers would be servants of Christ.
• The agreement
• a days work (12 hours)
• for a days pay (a denarius)

3
The Parable Story

• And he went out about the third hour and saw
  others standing idle in the market place and to
  those he said, You also go into the vineyard,
  and whatever is right I will give you. And so
  they went.
• Matt. 203-4

• The landowners generosity
• He saw (potential) laborers standing idle
  (waiting to be hired) in the market place (the
  place many would seek employment)
• The landowner said he would give them whatever
  is right.

4
The Parable Story

• whatever is right I will give you. And so they
  went. (v. 5) Again he went out about the sixth
  and the ninth hour, and did the same thing.
• Matt. 205

• The landowners generosity
• He saw (potential) laborers standing idle
  (waiting to be hired) in the market place (the
  place many would seek employment)
• The landowner said he would give them whatever
  is right.
• He did the same for those whom he saw in the
  market place throughout the day.

5
The Parable Story

• And about the eleventh hour he went out and found
  others standing around and he said to them, Why
  have you been standing here idle all day long?
  They said to him, Because no one hired us. He
  said to them, You go into the vineyard too.
• Matt. 206-7

• The landowners generosity
• Landowner still seeking those willing to work for
  him.
• With only a short time left to work the landowner
  still provides for those seeking employment.

6
The Parable Lesson

• Call the laborers and pay them their wages,
  beginning with the last group to the first. When
  those hired about the eleventh hour came, each
  one received a denarius. When those hired first
  came, they thought that they would receive more
  but each of them also received a denarius.
• Matt. 208-10

• The last shall be first
• The landowner purposely called those hired last
  to receive their pay
• Those who worked the whole day through supposed
  they would receive more than they (originally)
  agreed.

7
The Parable Lesson

• When they received it, they grumbled at the
  landowner, These last men have worked only one
  hour, and you have made them equal to us who have
  borne the burden and the scorching heat of the
  day.
• Matt. 2011-12

• The last shall be first
• The landowner purposely called those hired last
  to receive their pay
• Those who worked the whole day through supposed
  they would receive more than they (originally)
  agreed.
• The full day workers grumbled

8
The Parable Lesson

• Friend, I am doing you no wrong did you not
  agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours
  and go, but 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 what is my own? Or is your eye
  envious because I am generous? So the last shall
  be first, and the first last.
• Matt. 2013-16

• The last shall be first
• The landowner did nothing unlawful.
• He lovingly questioned the heart of his laborers.

9
What We Can Learn From the Parable

• There are those who labor for the Lord all their
  lives
• They came into a covenant (agreement) with their
  Master (Jesus Christ).
• They have born the burden and the scorching heat
  of the day.
• Things they can rejoice over
• That they were received into the labors.
• That they have a reward for their labors.

10
What We Can Learn From the Parable

• Those who become laborers late in their lives
  Dont have much time to labor.
• Things they can rejoice over
• That the Lord continues to seek and save the
  lost even till the end!
• That their reward is the same as everyone else's
  eternal life

11
Conclusion

• All Christians who labor for the Lord should
• Be grateful to be working for the Lord.
• Be thankful for our eternal reward.
• Not envy those who enter the Lords labor late in
  life, but rejoice with them for having the same
  eternal reward.
• Those who dont learn this lesson shall be last