Luke 19:11-27: Faithful to the King

Introduction

Marriage retreat and SEC championship game - bad calendaring OR a gift from God - So glad I was focused on my marriage instead of the game - that was where my focus needed to be.

You know that your focus needs to be on your relationship with Jesus, yet you struggle.

You struggle with a divided heart. You want to be faithful to God, but you also want to be faithful to follow your dreams and goals.

You struggle with a sinful heart. You want to be faithful to God, but like Old Testament Israel, you keep running to sin and idolatry. You know God is good, but in that moment of temptation, those sinful desires look so much better than faithfulness to God.

You struggle with an exhausted heart. You want to be faithful to God, but it’s hard when life is one hardship after the next. For some, just surviving is far more important to you than thriving in faithfulness to Jesus.

You’ve seen where the struggle has left you: distant in your relationships with God, struggling with the consequences of sin, etc.

You struggle, yet you need the reminder that living faithful to the King, even when faithfulness is difficult, is the best way to live. The parable we’re looking at this morning is a wonderful reminder that faithfulness to God is the best way to live - three lessons to help you walk in faithfulness.

The Parable

We've almost made it to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Jesus determined to journey to Jerusalem - a long journey to Jerusalem to die. Now, Jesus and His disciples are almost to Jerusalem.

Jesus told disciples what would happen in Jerusalem (Luke 18:31). Son of Man would die, but disciples did not understand. After all, Daniel prophesied that the Son of Man would establish His eternal Kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14).

Disciples thought Kingdom of God would appear right away (Luke 19:11). As they make their way to Jerusalem, hopes and dreams couldn’t have been any higher. Peter thinking to himself, “It’s about to happen.” James and John could hardly contain their excitement.

Jesus knows the disciple don’t get it. He also knows the plan - He will die, rise again, and ascend to the Father. Then, His people will wait for His return. The Kingdom is now/not yet. Parable helps us to understand the time which the disciples lived after the ascension of Jesus - the time we now live in - a time of waiting for our King to return.

vs. 12 - nobleman travels to far country to receive authority to be king - Historical context: Disciples saw this happen just a few years earlier. King Herod died and his son Archelaus was supposed to replace his father as king. BUT… Archelaus wouldn’t become king unless Augustus made him king. He made the trip to Rome to have Caesar make him king. Many people in Israel opposed him being king, even members of his own family. However Caesar Augustus made him king - Archelaus ultimately made king by Augustus, but when Archelaus returned to Judea he executed those who opposed him. Long story short, in a time of client kingdoms, you weren’t made king unless the ruling empire gave you authority over a specific area.

Jesus very different than Archelaus. Jesus already King but His Kingdom will not come in its fulness (now/not yet) until Jesus returns. When He returns, every knee will bow. Telling the story so the disciples (and we ) would know what’s expected while we wait for the King to return.

Ten servants of the nobleman given one mina each - 3 months wage - told to engage in business until the nobleman returned.

Different than parable of talents where servants are given different amounts - and that story not about a nobleman going to receive a kingdom.

This nobleman leaves and he is opposed by his subjects - there are those who don’t want the nobleman to rule over them. Reminder of John 1:11 - “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive him.” Sounds like the Pharisees and other religious leaders that did everything they could to oppose the Messiah, but they could not stop His mission.

Many today are still saying, “We do not want Jesus to rule over us.” Some of you in this room, “I don’t want Jesus to rule over me.” In this life, many will refuse to bow the knee to the king, but a day coming when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

When the king returned, those that the king entrusted to do his business would have to give an account of how they put the master’s minas to work.

In the parable we’re given a report of what three of the servants did with their minas. One servant gained ten more minas. vs. 17 - faithful with a little given authority over ten towns. One servant gained five more - put in authority over five towns.

Notice that the reward exceeds all expectations! Also, notice the reward isn’t really a reward as much as it is an entrusting of more responsibility.

vs. 20 - One man returned the mina - hid it because he was afraid of the nobleman. He failed to serve the nobleman. Completely defied what the nobleman told him to do.

Some of us in the room aren’t much different than this servant. We know exactly what the King has told us to do, but we just don’t do it. We’re unfaithful. Like this servant, attitude toward the King: “It’s not worth it to serve Him. What Jesus wants from me is unreasonable.”

Master questions the servant and why he didn’t at least put the money in the bank. Took the mina away and gave it to the one who had ten.

vs. 26 - Use it or lose it. Does this useless servant represent someone who is not really saved? Or, maybe an apathetic Christian who doesn’t see much growth while the Christian who continually invests sees much growth in the Lord and fruit in ministry. If you choose to not live by faith, God will raise up people who will obey Him. His Kingdom work will be accomplished.

vs. 27 - Looking toward the return of Jesus - judgment for those who did not want Jesus as king.

The point: the King is going to return. In the meantime, as you wait, live faithful. Easy enough to understand, but not so easy to do. Three lessons:

Faithfulness will always be your calling.

Jesus has given us all the same thing: salvation in Him, faith in Him, grace rich and free, the gift of the Gospel. How you live out your faith matters.

There won’t ever be a time where Jesus says to us, “You’ve been faithful enough. You can stop being faithful and now just sit back and relax and wait for the return of Jesus.”

You don’t get to define faithfulness. You tend to define faithfulness on terms of how moral you are or how religious you are. (I don’t cuss or drink. I go to church regular. I must be faithful.) You can be moral and religious yet unfaithful to Jesus.

Faithfulness in your pursuit of Jesus - growing in your knowledge of Him, growing in an intimate relationship with Him. Faithfulness in your obedience to Jesus. You do what He says. Faithful in your service to Jesus that grows out of your pursuit of Jesus - how you bless people with the Gospel, serve His church, etc.

Every aspect of your life is a gift given to you for the purpose of investment in God’s Kingdom.

You don’t get to take a break from faithfulness. Always your calling - but we like to take a break - pause in our pursuit of Jesus. Maybe it’s an excuse - “I just don’t have time.” Or, maybe it’s a hardship. Sometimes, the hardships push us away from faithfulness when the hardships should be pushing us to even greater faithfulness.

Putting book on the shelf in a thrift store - not useful… How some of you see faith… Not useful in this season of your life.

When your marriage is hurting, not time to take a break. When school is tough, not time to take a break. When your heart is broken, not time to take a break. When you’re struggling with disease, not time to take a break.

God doesn’t take a break from you. Why would you take a break from Him?

Faithfulness will always be needed.

You will always need faith. Never a moment when you don’t need to trust God, and from experience you know, the moment you stop trusting God is the moment life starts to spiral out of control (Proverbs 3:5-6).

People will always need to see your faith. The Kingdom of God grows as people see your faith and hear you talk about your faith.

Is your life a hindrance to the Gospel, or is your life a faithful witness to the transformation that’s brought about by the power of the Gospel?

People need to see genuine faith in the best of life and the worst of life. People need to see you trusting God when your marriage is falling apart. People need to see the character of Christ in you. People need to see selflessness in you. People need to see you making the Kingdom of God a priority. People need to see you living by faith as a family - making the Kingdom of God a priority over travel sports, music lessons, and other pursuits that have a tendency to take you away from faithfulness to the King.

People far from God need to see your faith. Fellow believes need to see your faith (Going to Denver to learn from a church that has lived out faith…)

Questions to ask:

What does your speech say about your faith?

What does your attitude say about your faith?

What does your character say about your faith?

What do your daily choices say about your faith?

If people observe your speech, attitude, character, and daily choices would they be convinced that you are a faithful follower of Jesus?

Faithfulness will always be rewarded.

Don’t underestimate the significance of faithfulness in the little things. Be content. “I want to accomplish big things for God…” The big thing for God is living by faith right where He has you… A mom who sacrifices a career to stay at home with her kids to raise them to know Jesus. A husband who faithfully loves his wife and daily points her to Jesus. Discipleship groups - faithful to minister to those four or five in your group.

Don’t underestimate the power of faithfulness over the long haul. Be patient. Real, abiding fruit in your walk with Jesus and in your service to Jesus happens over years of faithful obedience. Your growth in faithfulness happens day by day as you commit yourself to godliness and you see God change your heart and desires over the years.

Settle it in your mind: A successful life is a life of faithfulness to God. Period. Jesus is not going to look at you on His day of return and say, “Your kids didn’t get that baseball scholarship. You failed.” Or, “You didn’t get that promotion. You failed.”

When Jesus returns, He will reward your faithfulness to Him - not your successfulness in life. What matters for eternity is how you’ve served Him NOT how you have lived for this world.

Jesus is WORTH your faith because of His faithfulness to you. He came to this world, lived for you, died for you, and rose again for you. He is faithful even when you are unfaithful (2 Tim. 2:13). If you’ve never trusted Him, turn from your sins and turn to Him. Experience salvation.

Or, if you are struggling with faithfulness, maybe today is the day to repent and renew your walk with the Lord.