The King is Coming!

Christ’s Coming and the Professing Church.

In the section devoted to Israel, Jesus described primarily the outward events of the period; in this section, He described inward attitudes.

While everyone who has trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour and repented of their sins is going to heaven, not every believer is ready to meet the Lord.

When Jesus Christ returns and takes His church to heaven, He will sit on His judgment seat and judge His own people.

Romans 14:10–12 NASB 2020

10 But as for you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you as well, why do you regard your brother or sister with contempt? For we will all appear before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, to me every knee will bow, And every tongue will give praise to God.” 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB 2020

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.

He will not judge our sins, because these have already been judged on the cross.

But He will judge our works and will give rewards to those who have earned them.

These parables suggest that Jesus will judge three different groups of professed believers.

Obedient and disobedient servants (vv. 45–51).

Matthew 24:45–51 NASB 2020

45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; 50 then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, 51 and he will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It is a serious thing to be a pastor or other officer in a local church.

We must take care that our motives are right and that we serve Christ and His people in love.

The servant’s task is not to be popular, but to be obedient.

They who deal in secular business, think they succeed well and gain their point, if they raise an estate, and advance their families, and make to themselves a name among the great ones of the earth; they rejoice because their wealth is great, and their hand has gotten much, and say, “Soul, take thine ease.” But the ministry, though it is the best calling, is the worst trade, in the world

He must feed the family the food that it needs, when it needs it.

He should bring out of his “spiritual cupboard” things new and old.

If the spiritual leader is obediently doing his job when the Lord returns, he shall be rewarded.

But if that leader is not doing his job when the Lord returns, he will be dealt with in a severe way.

The whole picture is one of pain and loss.

Loss of reward and loss of opportunity.

The reward for obedient service is the capacity for greater service. Not to have a place of ministry in His kingdom would, to me, be a tremendous loss.

What caused this servant’s downfall?

Something went wrong in his heart:

Matthew 24:48 NASB 2020

48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’

He ceased to expect his Lord to return.

Wise and foolish witnesses (vv. 1–13).

Matthew 25:1–13 NASB 2020

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; 4 but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. 5 Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 However, the prudent ones answered, ‘No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.

A wedding in that day had two parts.

First, the bridegroom and his friends would go from his house to claim the bride from her parents.

Then the bride and groom would return to the groom’s house for the marriage feast.

The church has known for 2,000 years that Jesus is coming again, and yet many believers have become lethargic and drowsy.

They are no longer excited about the soon-coming of the Lord.

As a result, there is little effective witness given that the Lord is returning.

Oil is usually a symbol of the Spirit of God and the Word.

When the bridegroom and bride appeared, half of the bridesmaids were unable to light their lamps because they had no oil.

“Our lamps are going out!” they cried.

The bridesmaids who had oil were able to light their lamps and keep them shining bright.

It was they who entered into the wedding feast and not the foolish girls who had no oil.

This suggests that not every professing Christian will enter heaven, for some really have not trusted Jesus Christ sincerely.

Without the Spirit of God and the Word of God, there can be no true salvation.

Jesus ended this parable with the warning He had uttered before: “Watch”.

Profitable and unprofitable servants (vv. 14–30).

Matthew 25:14–18 NASB 2020

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received the five talents immediately went and did business with them, and earned five more talents. 17 In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

Please note that each servant in this parable was given money (a talent was worth about twenty years’ wages) according to his ability.

The man with much ability was given five talents; the man with average ability received two talents; the man with minimal ability received one talent.

The talents represent opportunities to use our abilities.

If five talents were given to a person with minimal ability, he would be destroyed by the heavy responsibility.

But if only one talent were given to a man of great ability, he would be disgraced and degraded.

God assigns work and opportunity according to ability.

Matthew 25:18–19 NASB 2020

18 But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. 19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.

We are living in the period of time between Matthew 25:18 and 19.

We have been assigned our ministries according to the abilities and gifts God has given us.

It is our privilege to serve the Lord and multiply His goods.

The three servants fell into two categories: faithful and unfaithful. The faithful servants took their talents and put them to work for their Lord.

The unfaithful servant hid his talent in the earth.

Instead of using his opportunities, he buried them!

He did not purposely do evil.

But by doing nothing, he was committing sin and robbing his Lord of service and increase.

The two men who put their money to work each received the same commendation.

Matthew 25:21 NASB 2020

21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’

The third servant was unfaithful and therefore was unrewarded.

Matthew 25:26 NASB 2020

26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed?

What we do not use for the Lord, we are in danger of losing.

Conclusion:

These three parables encourage us to love His appearing, look for His appearing, and labor faithfully until He comes.

We should be watching, witnessing, and working.

We may not be successful in the eyes of men, or even popular with others.

But if we are faithful and profitable, we shall receive our reward.