AHA

Series: The Gospel Truth

Text: Luke 12:41-59

Introduction: (What?)

Kyle Idleman, a pastor in Kentucky, has written a book entitled "AHA". It is primarily about the prodigal son. The title is an acrostic; A-Awaken; H-Honesty; A-Action. I believe that applies to our text today. We need to awaken to God's clear plan. We must honestly evaluate our condition, and we must Act in obedience to God's Word. Life change only comes when we do all three. It is not what you know, but it is what you do with what you know.

In the last message we noticed the responsibility of a steward (manager). As He often did, Jesus told some stories that seemed to overlap. The text today begins with and overlapping story.

Examination: (Why?)

1. The More You Know

Lk 12:41-48 ““Lord,” Peter asked, “are you telling this parable to us or to everyone?” The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten. But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.”

As Jesus often did, He answered Peter’s question with a story. Peter asked about the parable Jesus had just told, and Jesus answered by telling another parable. This one was about a master and a manager. In the previous parable Jesus emphasized that the servant, or manager, should be watching for the Master’s return. In this story He emphasized that not only should the manager be watching, but he/she should also be working. If we were to put this story in a modern day setting, it would be like parents going away for a week or two and leaving their teenagers a list of things to do while they are gone. However, their trip was cut short and they returned earlier than the teenagers expected only to find that nothing had been done from the list. Do you think there would be some discipline?

In the story Jesus told, He indicated that the discipline would be severe. Some translations even say that the unfaithful manager would be “cut into pieces”.

And then He said a strange thing; “But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.”

Basically He was saying the while ignorance is no excuse, the one who did not know what was expected of him, though still being punished, their punishment would be “lighter”. John McArthur says that this indicates different levels of punishment in Hell. He cites Ro. 2:12-16 “For all who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.”

In Ro 1:20 Paul wrote, “For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.” This then is the answer to the question people sometimes ask, “But what about those who have never heard the Gospel? What will happen to them?” They are included in Ro 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;” McArthur further says “There will be degrees of future punishment proportioned to the light enjoyed (recieved)---the knowledge sinned against. The very fact that pagan societies have their created “gods” is an indication that they understand the need for an object of worship. Paul used this when, on Mars Hill, he encountered the “religious” people who worshipped “the unknown God”. But look what he did…Acts 17:23 “For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.” He witnessed to them.

Just as there will be degrees of punishment in Hell for those who never surrendered to God, there will be degrees of reward in heaven for those who did or did not seek to “make disciples of all nations”. Remember, more is expected of those who have been “given much”. Those of us who have the Bible, who have the preaching and teaching of the Word of God available to us will be held accountable for our obedience or disobedience to it.

2. Which Side Have You Chosen?

Lk 12:49-53 ““I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how it consumes me until it is finished! Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.””

The “fire” that Jesus referred to is the coming judgment at His second coming. The “baptism” He mentioned references His suffering and death on the cross. He was consumed with finishing the work God had ordained for Him to do here on earth. His “baptism” must be complete before judgment comes.

While Jesus is known as the “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6 “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”) In our passage He indicated that His coming would cause conflict in families. How is this possible? When we were in San Diego, one of our young men, who had accepted Christ, showed up at church one day with a black eye and bloodied lip. When he was asked what happened, he told us that his father had forbidden him to go to church. When he walked out of the house to walk over a mile to the church, his father chased him and beat him. When one or two in a family surrender to Christ and others in the family do not there will be conflict. Maybe not to the extent in my illustration, but there will be conflict. Jesus never said that following Him would be easy. As a matter of fact He said just the opposite. He warned that His followers would be rejected, arrested, beaten and persecuted. One commentator put it this way; “Being a Christian is difficult because, once we are saved, we are suddenly swimming upstream, against the current of the world around us. Though our appetites will change, our sanctification can be a difficult process. Friends no longer understand us; our families question our new involvements and associations. Those we love often feel rejected, angry, and defensive. They don’t see why we can no longer continue in our old ways.” That is why we need a church…a family of faith, to help us deal with the rejection and persecution that will come. Paul warned in 2 Tim 3:12 “In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Which side are you on?

3. Understand and Act

Lk 12:54-59 “He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time? “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison. I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.””

Storms in Palestine usually blow in from the west, off the Mediterranean Sea, or from the south which is desert. One brought rain, while the other brought hot, dry weather. The people Jesus addressed had become expert in reading the “signs” regarding weather. His point was that the signs were just as clear that God’s kingdom was among them and that judgment was imminent. If that was true in Jesus’ day, how much more is it true in our day? Read what Paul wrote in 2 Tim 3:1-5 “But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people.” Would you agree with me that we are seeing this happen right now? And because judgment is at the door, Jesus said now is the time to settle your account with God. When the trumpet sounds it will be too late. In 2 Cor 6:2 Paul told the Corinthians “For he says: At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!”

Application: (What do you need to do to be ready?)

Have you surrendered your life to Christ? If not, what are you waiting for?

If you have surrendered to Christ, are you actively seeking to “make disciples” of those around you? They may be family members, friends, or acquaintances.

In Psa 95:7-11 “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the sheep under his care. Today, if you hear his voice: Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was disgusted with that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray; they do not know my ways.” So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest.”” If God has spoken to you today, respond to Him. Drive down a stake. Say, “Lord I surrender to You and from here until Jesus comes, I will seek to make disciples of those around me.”