Labourers in The Vineyard
A Sermon on the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
Scripture
1For 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. 2And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And …
Sermon Description
If Christians tend to grumble, commiserate, and feel sorry for themselves, is it because they’ve forgotten grace? Murmuring stems from a belief that one deserves something more. As a result, they’re never happy and become a complaining people. In this sermon on the parable of the workers in the vineyard from Matthew 20:1–16, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the murmuring person has forgotten that everything is grace. To illustrate this point, Jesus gives us the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. This sermon highlights the grumbling of those who have been in the faith for a long time. They are complainers; they feel they deserve more than the others. They started out well, but got into trouble later on. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones applies this parable to the human condition today. Christians have the gospel of Jesus Christ, but if they do not continue in it, they get into the same trouble. They become entitled and believe they deserve more. What they forget is this: it’s all grace. It’s always been grace. In the Christian life, all is grace, from the beginning to the end. Christians are called to do all things without murmuring. What a tragedy when Christian people become miserable. What a tragedy when they murmur. The same grace that saved them keeps them. Listen and rejoice––it is all of grace.
Sermon Breakdown
- The parable of the laborers in the vineyard illustrates the principle that everything in the Christian life is by grace from beginning to end.
- The parable addresses those who start well in the Christian life but get into trouble later on. Continuation in the faith is vital.
- The causes of the trouble for the first laborers:
- Their attitude was wrong. They were conscious of themselves and their work. They were counting and assessing what they did.
- This attitude inevitably leads to trouble. They expected and felt they deserved more, leading to murmuring and unhappiness.
- They felt contempt for others and were jealous of the latecomers.
- Most seriously, they felt the householder was unjust.
- The cure:
- Recognize the kingdom of God is different. Everything is new. We must not bring old mindsets.
- Do not think in terms of bargains, rights or rewards. Even rewards are by grace. God does not owe us anything.
- Do not keep records or accounts of your work. Keep your eye on God and his glory. Let God keep the accounts.
- Be prepared for surprises. God's accounting methods are not like ours.
- Recognize it is all of grace and rejoice in that fact. Looking to grace is the secret of a happy Christian life.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Spiritual Depression
What is the main principle Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches about the Kingdom of God in this sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main principle is that in the Kingdom of God "everything is essentially different from what it is in every other kingdom." He emphasizes that in God's Kingdom, "everything is of grace from the very beginning to the very end." This is the fundamental truth that many Christians forget, leading to spiritual depression and unhappiness.
What parable does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use as the basis for this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses the parable of the laborers in the vineyard from Matthew 20:1-16. This parable depicts a householder who hires workers at different times of the day but pays them all the same wage (a penny), regardless of how long they worked, causing those who worked all day to grumble.
Why were the first laborers in the parable unhappy despite being paid what they agreed to?
The first laborers were unhappy because they had the wrong attitude toward their work. Lloyd-Jones explains: "They've forgotten this great principle that goes right through the Christian life from the beginning to the very end." They were keeping records of their work, were conscious of everything they did, and felt entitled to more than those who worked less. They thought in terms of bargains and rights rather than grace.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as a dangerous attitude for Christians?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the dangerous attitude of thinking in terms of bargains and rights in the Christian life. He states: "There is nothing, I think, that is so erroneous in the Christian life as the spirit of saying, because I do this or because I've done that, then I have a right to expect something else in return." He calls this the "penny in the slot machine idea of Christianity."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe God's method of accountancy?
Lloyd-Jones describes God's method of accountancy as "romantic" and "glorious," saying, "In this kingdom, you never know what's going to happen. The last becomes first, and the first becomes last." He explains that God's accounting completely reverses human calculations and materialistic outcomes. He even shares personal experiences where his expectations about ministry results were completely upended by God's surprising work.
What causes Christians who started well to become depressed and unhappy later?
Christians who started well can become depressed when they forget the principle of grace. They begin keeping records of their service, comparing themselves with others, feeling entitled to rewards, and even questioning God's fairness. Lloyd-Jones explains that this happens when believers "drop back into bondage" and lose sight of the fact that everything in the Christian life is by grace.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones connect this parable to Peter's question in Matthew 19?
Lloyd-Jones connects the parable to Peter's question at the end of Matthew 19, where Peter said, "Behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee. What shall we have therefore?" He explains that Jesus told this parable to address the wrong attitude behind Peter's question, which suggested a bargain or agreement with expectations of rewards for service.
What is the cure for spiritual depression according to the sermon?
The cure for spiritual depression is to: 1) Recognize that in God's Kingdom everything is different and operates by grace, not merit; 2) Stop thinking in terms of bargains and rights; 3) Stop keeping records or accounts of your work; 4) Leave the "bookkeeping" to God; and 5) Rejoice in the fact that everything is of grace. Lloyd-Jones states: "The secret of a happy Christian life is to realize that it's all of grace."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the danger of allegorizing this parable?
Lloyd-Jones warns against turning the parable into an allegory by taking "hold of every detail and attach[ing] to it some particular spiritual truth." He emphasizes that parables are meant to illustrate one truth only, and allegorizing has led to endless spiritualizing of details like the hours and the penny. This misses the main point about grace that Jesus was teaching.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about Christian rewards?
Lloyd-Jones acknowledges that the Bible teaches about rewards for Christians, but emphasizes "even the rewards are of grace. He needn't give them." He warns that if we make bargains with God, we'll "get nothing but your bargain." But if we don't make bargains, we'll "get much more than you ever thought of getting, much more than you ever anticipated."
Spiritual Depression
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.