But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.But many will be last who are first, and first who are last.But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.But many shall be last that are first; and first that are last.
5 sermons cite this verse
… is the lowest on the pole in society. And yet this exchange helps us to see that when the word says that the first shall be last and the last shall be first, that he was talking about people like this woman, this woman who was on the bottom of the totem pole, an outcast in society, but she was in last place there, but first place in his strategy and plan. Oh God, help me to say it because there's somebody in the room who has gotten so accustomed to being in last place that even when God drops something in your spirit, you think that you're working from behind and I hear God saying I put you in last place because just like a watershed it had to hit you in the lowest place God help me to say it the way you dropped it in my spirit water always finds a way to get to the lowest point it doesn't matter where it falls it finds a way to get to the lowest point and God meets this woman at the lowest point in her life maybe the lowest point in your life is not the moment where you were down and out maybe it is the place where the spring is going to come from. The spring is going to come from the lowest place in your life. God says, I'm going to give you a revelation for this season. I'm going to give you my spirit in this season and out of your belly is going to flow rivers of living water. And all of a sudden, …
But then Jesus says something cryptic that gets them concerned again about where they fit and how they compare. He says, but many who are first will be last and the last first. Then he tells this symbolic story, a parable, to explain his meaning. It's recorded in the Bible in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 20. Jesus says. You see, the kingdom, the rule and reign of God is like a master of a house, a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the workers for a denarius, a day's wage for a day's work, he sent them for the day into his vineyard. And when the owner went out in the third hour of the day, around 9 a.m., he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. And he said to them, you also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right, I will give you. So they went. Again. After going out around the 6th hour and the 9th hour Around noon and 3pm He did the same Then in the 11th hour Around 5pm When he had gone out He found others standing around And he says to them Why do you stand here idle all day? …
the greatest men in the entire planet we're grateful jesus did say i'm alpha but he also said i'm omega and he did say that the first shall be last and the last shall be first so we give the lord thanks hallelujah listen let's get to the word of god i want to call your attention in the holy word of God to Deuteronomy chapter 6. Music ministry, thank you so much. Divine Nine Choir and band, thank you so much for your ministry to us today. And what a wonderful way to celebrate the Lord's Supper today with our young people leading us. I'm so impressed and so grateful for what God continues to do to form believers who are conscientious Christians through the Friendship West Baptist Church. God be praised for the awesome leadership of Dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes. And I always remind you when I'm here of the importance of keeping your pastor lifted in prayer. I will say it every time I stand before you because it is so critical, even if your pastor didn't have everything going on that he does. …
… world, it's the first get to be first and the last, you know, screw them, right? And yet he's like, no, no, the first will be last and the last will be first. But do you realize if the first are last in the last week of verse, what does that mean? That means everybody gets the same thing. Everybody gets the same thing. The prize is the same. And so what he's saying is, if you're in the kingdom at all, you get Jesus. If you're in the kingdom at all, you get the Holy Ghost. If you're in the kingdom at all, you get God's word. If you're in the kingdom at all, what do you get? What's your prize? Well, let's see. You, thief on the cross. You did nothing good. Didn't even get baptized. Why? He was otherwise constrained. Right? Spent the last hours of his entire life cussing at God. Had a change of heart in the last moment. It's always too early to give up on someone. …
… He's gonna say the first shall be last and the last shall be first in the kingdom of God. He's gonna demonstrate this a week later when he washes his disciples' feet at the Last Supper. And he's gonna say, you see what I'm doing? I've taken the role of a slave. Now I'm modeling for you how you're meant to live as my followers, as my disciples. He lives this message out, this paradox out by caring for the nobodies, the marginalized, the low lives in society. And as I've said here before, thinking about that great Garth Brooks song, Jesus had friends in low places. He had friends in low places. So he stands in direct opposition to how the world thinks about greatness, where you're gonna move to the top, you're gonna have lots of people working for you, you're gonna have all kinds of power and authority and Jesus doesn't work that way. Real greatness is found in serving. All right, in the scripture, you notice that there are two Greek words that I highlighted there. …