Faithful Servitude for Jesus

Intro.

I want to use your mind’s eye to appreciate what Jesus will say to us today in our time together. Firstly, Jesus Himself is speaking directly to us.

What I want you to do is close your eyes for a moment and place yourself at the following two scenes:

Scene 1 You are one of the parents, an older brother or sister, an older aunt or uncle, or just one that is highly vested in the life of another. You are making that 50-100 mile track to drop them off at college. It is the first time they will ever leave home.

Scene 2 is making that drive from your home up to the Eastern Bypass to drop your son or daughter, younger brother or sister, your niece or nephew, consider in both of these stories that you are the one that reared this boy or girl and you are letting them out of your care for the first time. The next chapter of their lives will change drastically that they left with a higher accountability for their destiny.

Consider the drive. They may be seated beside you or they may be in the back seat. Good memories of youth are discussed and there is all out laughter. Your mood changes as for a moment into space you have a reflective moment. You are facing the stark realization that your relationship with that son or daughter, or loved one will never be the same. That child that is leaving will never come home as a child again. From here on your relationship will change and the next time you see them they will be a young man or woman.

Invariably, it always seems to be mom that when all the lingering to leave comes about, you keep straightening the picture at college or folding towels and putting away or straightening the bedspread after all of the work is really done, its time, its time to depart. And, as that Mom & Dad, that older sister or older aunt, whoever it maybe, the one who had the most in the trenches time rearing that child, goes back one last time. They are full of emotion and they grab their child’s shoulders or offer them a big hug. Statements like, “you know we love you. You know if you need a thing we will be right here. Remember who you are. Remember whose you are. Hands on their shoulders looking them in the eyes full of emotion.

There is only one difference here. Jesus, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father as He spoke to the disciples that day could as well see into their future. He knew what was ahead. And just as that parent realizes its time to leave, the words they speak are paramount. The words we leave with to the one we love are the most important words we can utter.

Look with me back at Luke 9:51

Luke 9:51 NKJV

51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,

Jesus had kicked it in high gear and He knew His time was limited with the disciples. He was sharing life words with those disciples that would prepare them for His departure. This morning, Jesus Himself shares life words with us today.

Please turn this morning in your Bibles to Luke 12:35-48. If you have a pew Bible, the Scripture is on page________.Or, follow me on the screen. Let’s stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Luke 12:35-48

Luke 12:35–48 NKJV

35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Prayer

Oh Dear Jesus, help each of us to understand that You are speaking to us directly this morning. You speak to us as these are the most important words you could share with us. Help us this morning to put away all distractions, silence our cell phones, get our minds, heart and souls affixed upon You. Lord, may we look at you with our spiritual eyes and pay close attention to Your words and Your will for us this morning. I pray that Your Holy Spirit is at work in this place and preparing hearts to experience real transformation by the words you share. In Jesus precious name we pray, Amen.

Message

Jesus had been preaching to His disciples since the beginning of Chapter 12. At the latter part of Chapter 11, Jesus had another encounter with the Pharisees. He dealt with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the religious elite and that message carried over as warning to His disciples into Chapter 12. He addressed the disciples in Chapter 12 to not be fearful, He challenged them to share Christ with others, and He taught the parable of the rich fool.

Our last time together He shared with the disciples about worry and I entitled that message, “Jesus’ antidote for worry.”

Remember that Jesus’ stark adversaries that led to His death on the cross were the demands of the religious elite of the day. People that supposedly loved God are the very people that had Jesus killed.

Now obviously, we all know that it was all of the sins of the people of that day as well as our sins that placed Jesus on the cross. Furthermore, we know that God divinely planned to give His Son Jesus knowing that man would sin and needed an answer to his fallen estate. Man needed a Savior. Jesus would be leaving His disciples in short fashion and He was preparing them for readiness. Readiness for the return of Jesus. Readiness for service to evangelize the lost and to watch even within the church for the false prophets that are dressed in sheep’s clothing.

Jesus was preparing the disciples for His return. We call that day the parousia, the second coming. Oh what a glorious day that will be when my Jesus I will see. Amen!

Jesus was leaving instructions for them and for us today.

Aren’t you glad the Lord has made preparations for us and He calls us to make preparations in wait for His return?

John 14:3 “3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Jesus immediately charges them to be ready to serve.

Readiness to Serve vv. 35-37

Luke 12:35–37 NKJV

35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.

In our modern day way of communicating, Jesus was saying, “keep your pants on.” In Biblical times, the men and women wore robes for everyday dress. I imagine in an arid desert like environment the robe was flowing and cool. The robe would breathe.

When it came time for work or to step two or run, you could trip on yourself and they were not conducive for that type of action. They wore a belt and so when it was time to run or to labor, they would simply pull the robe up and fold it and tuck it in the belt to free up the legs and offer freedom to move without tripping over their own garment.

A. Willingness for Service

“Dressed for Action”-perizōnnymi-to fasten garments with a girdle or belt, to gird one's self,

metaph. with truth as a girdle, to equip one's self with knowledge of the truth.

Jesus stated to His disciples in no uncertain terms that there is a certain state you must maintain to be ready to serve me. In Biblical terms, for Jesus to say gird up your loins, they understood what Jesus was talking about.

1 Peter 1:13 NKJV

13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

In today’s news there was an article that stated that our Tomahawk missile travels 550 miles per hour. China’s missile is Mach 10-14 x faster, Russia’s Mach 27, 38 x faster.

That is a sobering thought.

Jesus was saying to them and to us today to stay alert, stay focused, and be attentive to those times you need to represent me before people.

There are two enemies to our readiness and willingness to serve the Lord.

Jesus shares with a the disciples in words to say, “do not allow your life to become distracted. Stay on point. Maintain your A game for me.”

Compromised life-as yourself the question. Where is my life compromised that I am not able to serve the Lord is I should? When I say compromised I mean that there is something you do, something you say, a way you act, a place you frequent, an addiction that you know that has you that causes you to be shameful of sharing Jesus in public. You know the enemy of hypocrisy and you do not want to be accused of hypocrisy so you do nothing. Is that your enemy?

Complicated life-the other area I see all to often is the fact that people are too busy to serve the Lord. They have allowed their lives to be so complicated, so obligated, that all they have is their scraps for the Lord. Do you need to do an audit of your calendar and ask yourself, is this really the most important thing I can be giving my time to?

B. Watchfulness for Service

“keep your lamps burning”

C. Waiting for Service

“blessed are those He finds awake when He returns.”

Three different ways the Lord calls us to service. Firstly He wants our willingness to serve Him, He wants us watchful to the scenes of life when we are called to serve and to stand in wait for those opportunities.

Ephesians 6:14 NKJV

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

Stay in the word and live in a way that is pleasing to God and you will be ready for His return.

But, for so many. There is another situation:

Matthew 25:1–10 NKJV

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

Its fun to watch little children. Its fun to watch them pretending to talk on the cellphone that is their parents old phone that is no longer service. You can put on a great act. You can raise your eyebrows. You can laugh and make all types of expressions as if someone is on the other line, but the reality is the cellphone is dead.

I am fearful that there are many today that are disillusioned into believing that a church affiliation, putting something in the plate every now and then, or simply claiming a Christian value system is sufficient and if that is all that has happened in and of itself, the relationship is dead.

Jesus told Nicodemus. You must be born again.

Jesus wants us to live our lives in such a way that we are in a state of readiness to share the love of Jesus with others. The place of readiness is when we are so filled with Jesus that He is oozing from our spiritual pores and we are in tune with Him, communing with Him in our worship, in His Word, and in our prayer life that it is all one large way of life wanting to escape into the souls of those about us that need a life change.

Ask yourself this question. What keeps me from a readiness to serve the Lord? What have I allowed in my life that either I am ashamed of due to my double life or where is my calendar out of whack to serve Jesus?

Jesus loves you. He shares the words with you this morning because He knows your potential. He knows what you have to offer. He knows what your life could be at its best in your service to Him.

You were saved to serve.

But notice the promise when we serve the Lord if we are found faithful. He will serve us when He comes back. Do you know something important about Jesus? He loves you so much and He wants to bless your life.

Resilience to Stand Guard vv. 38-40

Luke 12:38–40 ESV

38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

One of the concepts we know in most sports played is to “stay on our toes.” To be ready for action in most sports is a prone, weight forward, on your toes stance to react quickly. Jesus asked those disciples to stay on their spiritual toes.

Let’s get a solid handle on what is happening in the parable. The master is coming home from a wedding feast. It is a time of celebration, laughter and glee. There should be no dread or hanging the hat down when the master comes home. The servants will share in listening to the stories of who was at the wedding, listening to the stories of the toasts, looking at the videos on the phone and cackling around the dinner table as they serve Him and celebrate with Him in celebration.

But for others, because the master comes at a time and are caught off guard, the arrival can be fatal, it can become miserable. What can happen is that if we are not on point and we are not where we are supposed to be or we are disinterested or out of pocket, a thief comes and robs and takes away the master’s possessions.

True story: Once upon a time a fellow pastor asked to borrow a trailer from me that I had for store use use when I was still in business. He borrowed it, used it, left it on the parking lot of his church assuming nothing would happen and the trailer was stolen right off the parking lot of the church.

Listen to me, if we do not live our lives as such by putting on the girdle of truth and the breastplate of living right lives as a testimony to Jesus, we can have lives stolen right here in the confines of the church if we do not stay watch for those we love. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–8 NKJV

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

We had what I thought was a good time in the Lord Wednesday night as we discussed having a fellowship with God. We discussed dating and everyone brainstormed as I wrote on the whiteboard up here components of a good date. We talked dating because our fellowship is with the Bridegroom and we must make our times with Jesus special occasions. We discussed everything like making it special (that is why I wore my suit today), I wanted my time with the Lord to be special. We talked about ambiance and creativity and the location. The point of our time was that for us to enjoy a special time on a date with Jesus, we need to do those things to make it special.

At the end of verse 36, the reality is that “”so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.”

You may ask the question why do we not see Jesus move in our times together as He should? Why are we not having more decisions for Christ? And, I would ask you did you come expecting Him to knock? Did you come today wanting to hear a knock on the door of your heart to meet the Master?

What preparations did you make to be ready for Him to come?

Somewhat in conjunction with Wednesday night as similar to the date, maybe you have not prepared for an encounter with Jesus? Did you pray before you came desiring to experience Jesus in a new and fresh way? Did you read His Word this morning to allow Him to speak to you afresh?

Responsibility to Steward God’s Will for Your Life

Reward & Penalty

We learn this morning in closing that we have a responsibility to steward the Master’s will for our lives. We are to manage that assignment and do those things He would have us do while He is away. We are called as stewards, managers of that that God has bestowed to us to use our gifts, our talents, our witness for His glory.

Luke 12:41–42 “41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?”

Luke the physician used Peter’s words with a rhetorical question to remind us that these words were not just for those disciples that were in Jesus’ presence at that gathering, but they are life words for us today.

“who then is the faithful and wise manager whom his master will set over his household to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

Underline please: The proper time.

Luke 12:43 “43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.”

Dearly beloved, to the best of my ability and the Holy Spirit that resides in me, I have attempted to feed you the proper amount of food at this time.

How are you stewarding this life God has so graciously giving you? Life is a gift.

John 4:10 “10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.””

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God has given you a life to steward to manage. He calls us to be ready for serving Him. He calls us to be resilient and stand guard as He comes again, yes, to watch for the thieves of this world that break in and steal our very lives in the form of Satan, and He calls us to steward the Master’s possession He has bestowed upon us.

In Luke 12:44 “44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.”

We read the promise of blessing for those that live their lives for Jesus, walk in such a way, and stay ready for service that God will bless. He loves you and He wants to bless your life. He wants to offer you His best, but in the same breath dearly beloved, he wants us to offer our best.

Look at the judgment that comes in verse 45:

Now notice something very clear here, this is not words I am saying, Jesus is speaking these words.

Luke 12:45–46 “45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.”

The thought is that he “begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink, and be drunk” means that you are living a life in a stupor to believe your life is okay in Jesus if you live Monday through Saturday in a way that drives people away from Christ and the outside world says if that is what living for Jesus is all about, I won’t no part. That is the idea of beating the servants. And the drunkeness is the stupor of not knowing the damage you create.

Dearly beloved, I want you sober while I share in closing.

One that is truly born again will be known by their fruits. We know a tree by its fruits and we know a Christian by its fruits or we know a lost person by the lack of their fruits.

There are many false beliefs that if at some point I felt a sense of the movement of God and I responded in some way that I may be saved. Others believe that affiliation with the church causes them to believe that they are alright with God. There are too many to count that state that years ago I took care of that matter and I do not have to go to church to be saved.

I hear people say well, I will take care of that matter later, right now I’m having fun. There is a time later to get serious about the things of God. Or, I’ve been to busy for that. Dearly beloved, Jesus loves you. He had tears in His eyes I believe as time was drawing nigh to go to the cross as He shared with those disciples. He knew He was sharing life words to this band of disciples that were called to evangelize the world. He knew that how they received what He shared, How they responded to what He shared, He knew based on the actions or the lack of actions, what the outcome would be.

And I am saying that He was as a Mom or Dad who just dropped His child off at the recruiting office to go to Paris Island, knowing that they may or may not ever come home again. I want to ask you a serious question this morning. Are you playing church or have you truly been born again? If you have been born again? Your life has changed. You can say Brother Luke I truly am saved. I truly see the fruits of life anew in Jesus. If you can say that, I say amen.

But, if you can not say that from the heart. Get that right today by surrendering to Jesus and enjoying life anew.