In His Majesty’s Service – Acts 27:21-25

It must be repeated over and over again – Heaven and eternal life are NOT REWARDS for faithful service.

A person may work his way to Hell, but not to Heaven.

Paul was a servant of God not in order to become one of the Lord’s people, but because he already was.

And he didn’t look at this storm as punishment for not serving well or as an incentive to begin to serve God.

This storm was just a tool to be picked up and used in his service for the Lord.

But that doesn’t mean that the Lord can’t use storms to bring people, like Jonah, to their senses.

But to look at every storm as some sort of punishment is a mistake.

This evening, since all that we have in this scripture is a brief declaration, “I am a servant of God,”

I’d like us to turn elsewhere for our outline.

Please turn to Matthew 20:1-16 and let’s read:

“For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”

The people of our Lord’s parable were not illustrating people working for salvation; that was not Jesus’ subject.

Salvation from sin is the free gift of God – these were workers, as Paul was.

These people were in the service of the King as we all are supposed to be.

To know the Lord is to love the Lord, and to love the Lord ought to be to serve the Lord.

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

But among a great many of God’s children I see no real obedience to the Lord’s will.

And that is somewhat scarey, because when little is done to serve, please and glorify the Lord,

there is little proof that there is any love for Christ.

And if there isn’t any love for Christ, we have to wonder if there is any relationship to Christ at all.

It is said that a young painter was still learning his craft after years and years of lessons.

He took his latest work to Leo Tolstoy, “What do think, my picture of Christ?”

The writer looked at it and thought for a while and then said, “Do love this man?”

The wannabe painter replied, “That is Christ!”

After a few more seconds Tolstoy said, “If you love Him, you will paint Him better!”

Matthew 20 is a parable, so we have be careful not to stretch it too far or to twist it out of shape.

Jesus was speaking to common people – not theologians – so we have to look at the surface not the roots.

Also with parables, it is possible and legitimate to stretch things in slightly different directions, in order to make an application.

The key to understanding this parable begins in Matthew 19:27:

Peter said, “Lord, we have been serving you for months, what shall be our reward?”

Perhaps it was a selfish question, but when asked properly it is perfectly permissible.

What was Paul’s service for Christ.

What will Paul’s reward be for serving his Master?

Notice first of all, that the Lord NOTICES IDLENESS.

There is no doubt that the householder represents the Lord God of Heaven and earth.

And the Lord hates indolence and unnecessary idleness – He hates it.

The idle person is going to be hired by Satan, sooner or later.

And just to kill time is a form of murder.

Do you believe that these are the very last days before the Lord’s return? Amen?

In that light, we have the command and commission:

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

“Lord, teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

The householder went into city early in morning and found men ready for work, so he hired them.

They were neither lazy nor idle – it was before dawn, and they had nothing do but to wait for an employer.

Three hours later the employer went back into the market place and saw more potential workers.

It doesn’t appear that hiring more men was his purpose; they were just there.

He did the same thing again at noon and then again in the middle of the afternoon.

Those lazy, indolent farmhands were like grains of sand in the eye of this employer.

Every time he blinked, there they were and oh, how they stung him.

Then once again he went into the city at 5:00 p.m. still he found men standing around doing nothing.

“Why stand ye here all the day idle?”

The Lord is still asking same question of each us, “Why sit ye here idle　all day?”

Hey, wait a minute preacher, I’m not idle; don’t you even hint that I am lazy.

It needs to be realized that there are different kinds of idleness.

There is the obvious literal kind –

Some of these men were leaning up against fence posts simply talking or whittling.

They were idle because they wanted to be; they were down right vagrants.

They were lazy and that was why they were idle.

But then there is the kind of idleness that looks busy but really isn’t.

There is a busy-ness about useless things.

I read of king who spent time searching his kingdom for a white mouse with a green eye.

And there was a shepherd lad who spent hours learning how to balance his staff on end of his chin.

You may say that you are busy surfing the internet looking at Christian web-sites.

That may be nothing more than idleness.

You may say that you busy watching TV, but what is that?

Then there is busy-ness in the market place, making things, making money, making noise.

All of which will be used or wasted, then forgotten 15 minutes after their use.

What are you doing that will last for eternity?

The question is: what are you doing for Christ?

No man hath hired us?

That is an awfully poor excuse, when others have been in the vineyard for hours.

The Lord’s harvest is always ready for more workers.

“Say not, there are yet four months and then cometh harvest. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already harvest.”

The Lord went out ENLISTING WORKERS, just like Paul.

He went early in the morning.

Spurgeon said that it was before the dew evaporated off the grass.

The coming of the Sun, was only a pink promise in the Eastern sky.

The average work-day in that part of world, before Timex & Rollex watches, began with the rising of the sun and with the crowing of the rooster.

There are two major ways to interpret and apply our parable at this point.

Some say that the earliest workers, the 6 a.m. bunch, were the Apostles of Lord.

Then the 9 a.m. group were their successors, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, etc.

The 12:00 people were the Reformers, Covenanters, Anabaptsts, and Waldensians.

Then came others and others down throughout history, until our time.

Other commentators apply the 6:00 servants to young children who come to Christ and serve Him before they reach their tenth birthday.

Then others begin to serve the Lord in their 20’s & 30’s, 50’s and 70’s.

Whichever interpretation we take, or even if it’s another, the “working” clearly illustrates the Christian Life.

The Lord is in the business of enlisting workers – not lazy good-nothing idlers.

There is yet is yet much land to be possessed – there is still much to do for Christ.

There are a hundred and one things to needing to be done in and around this church building.

And many of our neighbours have no knowledge God.

How can we stand idle in the market place while watching neighbors fall into Hell?

Why doesn’t it bark our hearts to realize we have so few in Sunday School?

Most of the people our city have never been invited to hear a gospel sermon.

Someone says, “But I’ve not been called to be the Lord’s slave; I’m a child of the King, a son of God.”

Then you had better notice another of Jesus’ stories in Matthew 21:28:

“But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”

Every child born into the family of the Lord, will see the Saviour point to a field and they will hear Him say, “Go; get to work.”

And every child that refuses is not worthy to be called a child of God.

Now the first workers were hired dark and early, when it wasn’t even daylight.

They were expected to put in a full twelve hours out there in the vineyard.

They had to contend with baking heat, blistering winds and wasps and hornets.

No one said that the work of Christ was an easy one.

It makes for tired bodies, blistered fingers, aching hearts and sleepy bones.

Not to mention the cuts and bruises that Paul received just about everywhere he went.

And those first workers were promised a penny – but don’t pity them for such small wages.

That denarius was recognized to be a full day’s salary.

A silver penny in Jesus’ day bought a lot more than the paper play money of the Federal Reserve.

In other words it would have been equivalent to at least $30.00 or $40.00 of our money – minimum wage.

And once again that money can’t be applied to salvation.

I believe that the money promised represents rewards or awards in glory for faithful Christian Service.

And the promise was for what was right (v.4 ); not just for what was legal.

Then the householder went into the city at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m and 5 p.m.

As I say, some commentators apply this historically – people after the apostles.

The people of the 16th Century, and you and I, will have no less reward than the original apostles or the 70 disciples.

Then other commentators say that this applies to people who are saved later in life.

A man 60 yr’s old, can still take up the Word of God and learn to teach others.

His reward shall not one copper penny less than the teenager who takes up his cross to follow Christ.

There are important reasons to think about in this.

For example: Christian, the Lord wants you – it doesn’t matter what your age, health, wealth or physical constitution.

The Lord wants you for his vineyard – to work – to serve Him.

There is fruit to be grown for the Master – this is what living the Christian life is about.

And there are Philistine cities and Canaanite communities yet to be taken.

There are idols of Dagon, Molech, Baal, Isis and Ashtoreth to be thrown into fire.

Why are we not bringing in a constant stream of neighbors to hear the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ?

There is much needing to be done for the Lord,

“But the laborers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send laborers into his harvest.”

Keeping our thoughts in the context of Jesus’ illustration – it is fruit that the Lord seeks.

Since Jesus didn’t say that these employees were harvesting in this parable, it gives us some interpretational leeway.

There is still fruit to nurture and encourage.

There are still Apolloses needed who will sow the seed of the Word of God.

There are still Pauls needed who will be willing to water that seed.

The young plants need to be pruned, dunged, hoed, protected and supported.

And then eventually there will be harvesting to be done.

“They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

We need Samaritans who will say, “Come see a man who told me all things that ever I did.”

There are never enough workers – never.

Why stand ye idle all the day?

It seems to me that many Christians have a welfare mentality.

They have transposed a warped secular philosophy and applied it to the Kingdom of Heaven.

They sit back, dawdle, twiddle, whittle and think that the Lord will shower them with denarii

Saved from sin, yes, but saved so as by fire.

Whittling sticks are good only for fires – not for crosses.

And the close of the working day is coming.

Historically speaking, I think that we are among those hired at the 11th hour.

Paul was hired at 9:00 in the morning, after the earlier disciples started at dawn.

For all of us, the day is almost finished.

Isn’t it time that we took to the fields?

Because with the close of the day comes THE REWARDING.

Now, notice that the reward is not based on the time spent in the field.

Some of men spent 12 full hours in the heat, in the sun, in wind, and among the bugs.

They were promised a full day’s wages – maybe equivalent to $40.00 or perhaps $100.00.

Indeed Peter you have forsaken all to follow Christ and you shall be rewarded.

But then along with them, the men who worked only one hour received exactly the same reward.

What’s more they received theirs before the first.

What does that say?

Doesn’t it say that the reward for service is as much of grace as salvation itself.

The Lord owes us nothing, especially after giving us our very lives.

We ought to serve Christ because of our undying love, not for denarii or crowns.

If the Lord should be pleased to reward, then that is just further to His glory.

We human beings have certain criteria for measuring work.

We might talk about the number of ergs if we were physicists

We could discuss calories expended, or sweat collected, or time spent.

But the Lord uses a different measure.

He uses willingness to go and faithfulness to obey to the best of ones ability.

Note that there are no words here about what work was done.

There are no reports of baskets filled.

The Lord didn’t speak of the quality of the labour, or the quantity either.

The L is interested in your heart here this evening; your heart and its willingness to give to Him.

How much of your heart does the Lord possess?

Whether or not we are good servants depends on how true or false is the phrase: “Whose I am.”

Are you trusting the finished work of Christ or are you trusting your labours for Him?

Your faith is in the Lord, well praise the Lord!

Now what are you doing to magnify His Name here on this sinful planet?

Paul was not ashamed to tell those strangers, “I am the Lord’s, and I am His servant.”

“Whose I am and Whom I serve.”