PRISMA SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

The Last
Shall Be First
A Sermon by Pastor Wilson Aritonang
 THE GREAT "LOSE BUT SAVE"

"REVERSALS" "POOR BUT RICH"

IN THE
"DIE BUT LIVE"

"GIVE TO RECEIVE"

KINGDOM "LABOR TO REST"

OF GOD "SERVE TO REIGN"

Matthew 20:1-16 | The Last Shall Be First

 COL 390.1
"The truth of God's free grace had been

almost lost sight of by the Jews. The

rabbis taught that God's favor must be

earned. The reward of the righteous they

hoped to gain by their own works. Thus

their worship was prompted by a

grasping, mercenary spirit. From this

spirit even the disciples of Christ were not

wholly free, and the Saviour sought every

opportunity of showing them their error."

 END TIME CHRISTIANS
REALITY CHECK

MISSIONARIES MESSENGERS VICTORS

VS VS VS

MERCENARIES AVENGERS SURVIVORS

SUPERFICIAL SPIRIT JUDGMENTAL SPIRIT MERITORIOUS SPIRIT

GOD INITIATES
SOVEREIGNLY
THE BACKGROUND (V. 1-2)
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a

landowner who went out early in the

morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

Now when he had agreed with the

laborers for a denarius a day, he sent
them into his vineyard."

Matthew 20:1-16. | The Last Shall Be First

GOD RELENTLESSLY
REDEEM HIS PEOPLE
THE BUILD UP (V. 3-7)
And he went out about the third hour...
Again he went out about the sixth and the

ninth hour...

And about the eleventh hour he went out

and found others standing idle...

Matthew 20:1-16. | The Last Shall Be First

GOD GIVES US MORE
THAN WE DESERVES
THE PROBLEM (V. 3-7)
"Call the laborers and give

them their wages, beginning with the

last to the first...

they supposed
But when the first came,

that they would receive more; and they

likewise received each a denarius...

Matthew 20:1-16. | The Last Shall Be First

THIS PARABLE TEACHES A
SPECIFIC LESSON
Jesus is giving surprising examples of

people who belongs to the kingdom of

God. Children (Matthew 19:4), Not The

Rich (Matthew 19:23-26), Those Who

Suffer Losses (Matthew 19:30), Not Those

Who Were First (Matthew 20:1-16), Those

Who Serves (Matthew 20:20-28), Those

Who Are Weak (Matthew 20:29-34)

MATTHEW 20:1-16
THE HIGHLIGHT QUESTION
(V. 12)

"These last men have

worked only one hour, and

you made them equal to us

who have borne the burden

and the heat of the day."

Matthew 20:1-16. | The Last Shall Be First

 COL 401, 402
"Therefore there is no occasion for one to

glory over another or to grudge against

another. No one is privileged above

another, nor can anyone claim the reward

as a right. Love rejoices in the truth and

institutes no envious comparisons. He who

possesses love compares only the

loveliness of Christ and his own imperfect

character."
 "US" AGAINST "THEM" MENTALITY

“The older brother became angry and refused

to go in. So his father went out and pleaded
with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All
these years I’ve been slaving for you and never
disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me
even a young goat so I could celebrate with my
friends. But when this son of yours who has
squandered your property with
prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened
calf for him!’

LUKE 15:28-30
 WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED
BEYOND MEASURE

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with

me, and all that I have is yours. It was right
that we should make merry and be glad, for
your brother was dead and is alive again, and
was lost and is found.’ ”

LUKE 15:31-32
 SELECTIVE EMPATHY

Then God said to Jonah,

“Is it right for you to be
angry about the plant?”
And he said, “It is right for
me to be angry, even to
death!”
JONAH 4:9
 GOD'S LOVING MERCY

But the Lord said, “You have

had pity on the plant for which
you have not labored, nor
made it grow, which came up
in a night and perished in a
night. And should I not pity
Nineveh, that great city,
JONAH 4:10-11
MATTHEW 20:1-16
THE RESOLVE (V. 14)

‘Friend, I am doing you no

wrong. Did you not agree with

me for a denarius?

Take what is yours and go

your way. I wish to give to this

last man the same as to you."

Matthew 20:1-16. | The Last Shall Be First

MATTHEW 20:1-16
THE RESOLVE (V. 15)

Is it not lawful for me to

do what I wish with my

is your
own things? Or 

eye evil because I am

good?"
Matthew 20:1-16. | The Last Shall Be First
 GRACE IS GREATER

God's grace is a
bout favor and the Savior.
Our works is all about flaws
and debts.
WILSON ARITONANG
 A CONFESSION OF GOD'S GRACE

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who

has enabled me, because He counted me
faithful, putting me into the
ministry, although I was formerly a
blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent
man; but I obtained mercy because I
did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of
our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith
and love which are in Christ Jesus.

1 TIMOTHY 1:12-14
 GRACE IS GREATER

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all

acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, of whom I am
chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained
mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show
all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are
going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to
God who alone is wise, be honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen.

1 TIMOTHY 1:15-17
MATTHEW 20:1-16
THE RESOLVE (V. 16)

"So the last will be

first, and the first
last. For many are
called, but few chosen.”

Matthew 20:1-16. | The Last Shall Be First

 THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST

"And I say to you that many will come

from east and west, and sit down with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the
kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the
kingdom will be cast out into outer
darkness. There will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth."

MATTHEW 8:11-12
 LIFE PARADOX

Those who are blessed with

enough always wants more. Those
who are blessed with more never
feel enough. But those are blessed
with "less" is made satisfied.

WILSON ARITONANG
 BOAST IN GOD ALONE

This is what the Lord says:

The wise man must not boast in his wisdom;
the strong man must not boast in his strength;
the wealthy man must not boast in his wealth.
But the one who boasts should boast in this,
that he understands and knows Me—
that I am Yahweh, showing faithful love,
justice, and righteousness on the earth,
for I delight in these things.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

JEREMIAH 9:23-24
 Father we thank you that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That when we were
ungodly and deserved nothing, where sin increased grace abounded all the more. It must have
grieved the heart of Jesus to see the ugly competition among the disciples. And certainly it
would grieve you ever to see that in our lives to think we deserved more than somebody
else. It's all grace. And if you hadn't come into the marketplace and found us in our misery, we'd
still be there. Thank you for taking us and giving us such undeserved blessing, such immense
privilege as to be a part of your Kingdom and receive the eternal life. Thank you for letting us
labor in your Kingdom. When nobody deserves anything anyway and no human work makes
any contribution, surely it is all equal, equal grace. We are humbled by this kind of
treatment. Your ways are equal. Equally gracious. And we praise you for that. Lord help us to
realize how undeserving we are of anything, let alone eternal life. And receive the gift with
humility and be willing - be willing to take the humblest grace in your Kingdom. For we know
what you said. The least in your Kingdom is in fact the greatest. May you be pleased Lord with
our humility in the face of such kindness. And we ask these things in our Savior's name. Amen.