Ready & Faithful

SLIDE: Luke 12:37

Luke 12:37 (NLT)

37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!

SLIDE: Welcome

SLIDE: Title

Introduction

How many of you here today like to be prepared and ready for things? You’re the type of person that’s packed and ready for a trip a full week before you’re supposed to leave. You’ve got your meals all planned out and your groceries ordered up. Your linen closet is stocked and ready to receive the next national toilet paper shortage. You think ahead and you’re ready for whatever situation may arise.

The rest of you here today aren’t really ready for much, in fact, you probably just barely got here today. You pack the night before a trip, you’re completely dependent upon Google Maps, and you’re living from one toilet paper roll to the next… It’s a dangerous way to live. Ah, wait so am I… And I’ll prove it, now listen to this true story:

Nancy and I are almost polar opposites when it comes to planning. She like to plan meals for week before she goes grocery shopping. Myself, well, for the most part I prefer to do things on the fly. Over the years, being in the technology industry most of my career and the company’s primary Project Manager I have had to become a planner. Over the years, I have found that planning and being ready is not only helpful but has saved me from having projects go over budget or go awry.

I do, however, remember a time that prior planning would have saved me from things be perplexing. It was the fall of 1974 and I had gone to Lynchburg Virginia to visit a high school friend at the University of Virginia. At that time I lived in Springfield Virginia, the trip to Lynchburg was 170 miles. I made the trip down to Lynchburg in a 1965 Pontiac Station-wagon that got around 15 miles per gallon which had a range of 300 miles with a full tank of gas.

Now, you need to recall the times: During this part of the 1970’s the United States was under gas rationing. Gas stations were not allowed to be open on Sundays anywhere. And only allowed to be open the rest of the days from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

So, here it is Sunday evening and need to get back home for work by 9:00 AM on Monday. Have you figured out the math yet? Let’s see 170 miles one way is 340 miles round trip. But wait I had about 50 miles of driving that I did before the trip and while in Lynchburg. That makes a total of 390 miles for the total. Now what is wrong with the math here (range of 300 and 390 miles of driving).

Well, I didn’t feel like I had a choice other than to get home in time for work. At 20 years old (like many young people) I felt I could do anything. But given the math what was I to do with the impossible math of it all.

Before we get to the rest of the story: I had plenty of opportunity to het more fuel before Sunday, but I simply spaced it. So, in this case had I planned ahead, I would have prevented a perplexing problem.

Anyway, I set off on my trip home: to make matters worse most of the trip from Lynchburg to Springfield was through the Allegheny Mountains, which would make the gas mileage even worse. With a seemingly impossible task ahead of me I bravely (some may say stupidly) I bravely set forth on my trip.

Knowing that I had to stretch ever inch possible out of the fuel, I would drive up the hills and mountains. Then, I would turn off the engine at the top and coast down as far as I could before having to turn on the engine again.

Up and down I went worried that I would end up stranded somewhere and still not be to work on time. I went forth into the night with no real plan.

So, what do think happened? Did I make home, let alone to work on time?

When the engine started to sputter and stall, I found my guzzling gas eating car coating into the driveway at home.

Phew. that was a close call, and fortunately we had a full gas can for the lawn mower. So, I did make to work on time after all.

I have to tell you, don’t go out on a wing and a prayer thing you can face anything fearlessly.

Now while Jesus came to save us from ourselves, He did not come to save us for being total idiots like me in this case. Rather, Jesus tells us to be READY & FAITHFUL!

SLIDE: Reality

The reality is that there are all kinds of people in the world who live at different places all along the preparedness spectrum. No matter where you find yourself today, Jesus has called us all to live a faithful and ready life IN HIM as we eagerly await His return.

And the good news is that we won’t need toilet paper, maps, fuel or grocery plans where we’re headed, so you can leave those behind and focus your energy on the coming kingdom. And to be READY & FAITHFUL!

Main Idea

Our larger passage for the day is Luke 12:32-40 and this passage is nestled in a larger section of Luke where Jesus has, “resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51). On his way to the holy city of God we get numerous teachings and instructions from Jesus intended for both his disciples and for the crowds listening in. This is the context where we receive our teaching today from Luke 12.

Read Luke 12:32-40

Luke 12:32–40 (NLT)

32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. 33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. 39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

We could further divide our passage into 2 smaller sections…

One focused on having faith, verses 32-34,

and one focused on being ready, verses 35-40.

Even though all the verses in our passage have to do with having faith and trusting the good shepherd, I’m still going to focus our time today on being Ready & Faithful.

Do not fear

There are some commentators who believe the bible contains 365 “do not fear” or “don’t be afraid” commands. Of course the significance of this, that the bible has a specific command against fear for every day of the year, is awesome. Our passage today begins in Luke 12:32 with Jesus saying, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” Right off the bat we see Jesus’ tender encouragement for His disciples, whom He refers to as His “little flock.”

Interestingly this is the only use of this term in the New Testament, and it’s the same wording used in Isaiah 40:11.

Read Isaiah 40:11

Isaiah 40:11 (NLT)

11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. We can trust Him and trust that He, like the shepherd described in Psalm 23, He will take care of His flock.

Read Psalm 23:1-3

Psalm 23:1–3 (NLT)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. 3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

He lays us down in green pastures, He leads us beside calm waters, He restores our weary souls. In Him we have all that we need. In Him we are satisfied. And because of these realities, in addition to the fact that the Father is pleased to give us the kingdom, we see the encouragement to let go of all material wants and desires in verses 33-34. Jesus tells the disciples to sell off their possessions and give to the poor. He reminds them to seek heavenly treasure that cannot rust or be stolen. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

SLIDE: Where are you?

Where is your treasure today?

What things occupy your mind and your energy?

Where is your hope for the future? (Is it in yourself or in Him?)

In his book, Freedom of Simplicity; Finding Harmony in a Complex World, Richard Foster says;

“Jesus Christ and all the writers of the New Testament call us to break free of mammon lust and live in joyous trust...They point us toward a way of living in which everything we have we receive as a gift, and everything we have is cared for by God, and everything we have is available to others when it is right and good. This reality frames the heart of Christian simplicity. It is the means of liberation and power to do what is right and to overcome the forces of fear and avarice.”

It’s interesting that there is such a strong connection made between having a multitude of possessions and also being fearful. It may be worth considering that the more “things” you have to lose, the more opportunity you have to be scared of losing it all.

SLIDE: Seek the Kingdom

This may be why Jesus’ encouragement is to seek the kingdom of heaven and to rid ourselves of fear. I believe it’s also why He spends the next section talking all about staying ready.

Are you ready?

Let’s pretend for a moment that you have been given everything you could’ve ever wanted or possibly imagined, you’re an heir to a kingdom of unimaginable riches, and all you have to do is wait patiently for the king of this promised treasure to come and pick you up. This isn’t a perfect comparison to what is happening with the kingdom of God, Jesus, and the disciples, but it’s pretty similar. And Jesus’ warning to everyone listening is to remain ready, watchful, and awake. Ready to receive a kingdom inheritance that cannot be lost.

Re-read Luke 12:35-40

Luke 12:35–40 (NLT)

35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. 39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

“Be ready,” Jesus says, “Keep your lamps lit.”

SLIDE: The House Needs to be Ready

The command is clear and the situation is this…

The master of the house is returning and those in the house need to be ready. And if you’ve ever had to wait a long time for something to happen you know how easy it is to get bored, distracted, and even lose interest. Even more so in this situation as the enemy of your soul doesn’t want you to be ready. He only wants your death and destruction. So he has helped author a culture filled with temptation and distractions all meant to take your focus away from what really matters.

If the enemy can get you staring at your phone, your pocket book, or your neighbor's perfectly manicured lawn more than you’re looking to God then he’s already got you headed in the direction he wants. And believe me when I say that the destination he’s taking you to does not include green pastures, calm waters, or restoration.

SLIDE: What do we do?

So what do we do in this world of sin?

How do we remain ready and faithful?

We fix our eyes on Christ and we run the race set before us.

SLIDE: Fix Your Eyes

Fix your eyes

You may have heard this saying before, “wherever your eyes look, your body will follow.”

What are your eyes fixed upon?

This is probably a good summary statement of Hebrews 12:1-3…

Read Hebrews 12:1-3

Hebrews 12:1–3 (NLT)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

The New Testament authors were all too familiar with pain, suffering, and persecution. They knew intimately how difficult it was to remain faithful and to follow Jesus throughout life. So when these authors say something like the verses we just read from Hebrews 12, we need to pay attention. Here are the key takeaways;

SLIDE: Key Takeaways (with 5 advances)

1 >> ● Throw off everything that hinders you, including the sin that entangles you.

2 >> ● Run with perseverance the race set out before you.

3 >> ● Fix your eyes on Jesus.

4 >> ● Consider Jesus as you run, and keep his sufferings in mind.

5 >> ● Don’t grow weary and lose heart.

Which specific things from this list resonate with you? What sin comes to mind that is entangling you and keeping you from running the race. What have you been fixing your eyes upon? Are you weary and tired?

And maybe most importantly, depending upon how you answer these questions and consider these commands,

6 >> ● What are you going to do about it?

Conclusion

So that’s the question, what are you going to do about it? How are we going to remain faithful and ready?

How is your faith going to be different this coming week?

SLIDE: Remember

Remember church, life is a marathon not a sprint. There will naturally be times where it is more difficult to stay in it than others. These are the times to lean in and be intentional.

Lean in to your community, your small group, your family, and your savior. As Hebrews 12:1-3 reminds us, keep Jesus in mind as you run with endurance. He will help you persevere through it all. He will help you remain ready and faithful.

Let’s pray together.