The Business
The Gospel of Luke • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsThe business of Jesus is to seek and to save the lost, we are to be about his business.
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Introduction
Some of you might know this, but I originally went to college seeking a degree in business. Growing up in the blue collar home, finances were often tight so I decided that a college degree in business would be my ticket out of that way of life. There was, however, more involved in this decision than just my desire to make a good living, I enjoyed what I saw as the inter workings of the world of business. I looked forward to working together with a team to meet a challenge and figuring out how to accomplish our shared goal as we each brought one piece of the puzzle together. Things like strategic planning, problem solving and managing a team was intriguing to me.
Of course anyone who has a degree in business can recognize how rare, idealistic and naive that perspective on the business world was, but I was 18 years old and figured the business world was just waiting for me to make it better.
I spent the summer before my freshman year working at the hobby store that I have told you about before, but now that I was a high school graduate heading for a business degree I was given more responsibility and more more freedoms. I began in a managers role where I was responsible for the store all by myself. Not only was I was in sales, but now I was ordering, purchasing, bookeeping and heading up our introduction to this new thing called “ebay”. Having the opportunity in this role and watching the business owners life and the decisions that she had to make, I began to wonder if the world of business was really for me after all.
Then I went off to college and enrolled in required classes, business classes and one introduction to ministry class. While the required classes were not of much interest to me, I was intriqued with both my business classes and my ministry class. The thing that intrigued me the most was how similar many of the concepts were.
I was operating under the impression that getting a business degree was just about doing what you had to in this world to make money, and then you would go to Church, Bible Studies and or short/term mission trips for your ministry time. This was not what I heard from the business professors in that class. Men who had had been very successful in fortune 500 companies in the Chicagoland area. Their testimony was that their Christian faith fundamentally influenced not only how they conducted business, but how successful they were at it. They talked about opportunities that they had to point people to Jesus that they would never have had if they did not pursue Christ-centered business model. And they were still making money. This was news to me. That spiritual disciplines like prayer, reading and sharing God’s Word were just as much a part of their success formula as a good business plan.
Tension
But I was just as surprised at what I found in my introduction to ministry class. I figured ministry was just about spiritual disciplines like prayer and reading and sharing God’s Word, but I found that many of the practices that drew me to want to be a part of the business world were an essential part of what it took to be successful at full-time Church ministry. Things like strategic planning, problem solving and managing teams were also vital to success in ministry.
Tension
So now I didn’t know what I would do now. I knew that God had wired me to desire and go after these particular things, but then he showed me that they were available in two different directions. I had to re-evaluate my decision to pursue a business degree because I was shown many variables that I never considered. So I prayed, sought the counsel of professors in both the business and ministry departments and then followed through on the decision that I believed God was leading me towards.
Obviously, as I stand here today, you know that I chose the “full-time Church ministry” track, but I want to be clear that what I learned through this experience is that God could have used me in either direction and still fulfill his will in my life.
Transition Statement
The truth is that it is both the privilege and responsibility of every follower of Jesus Christ, to submit all our lives to the business of growing His Kingdom, no matter where we report for work on Monday morning.
In our text today we are going to read about how Jesus interacted with two different men at polar opposites of the spectrum when it comes to what the world calls success. Despite this, Jesus’ business in their lives remained the same.
Not only will we learn from Jesus’ interaction with these two men, but we will hear Jesus using a parable to tell all of his disciples that when He returns, we will be held accountable for how we handled His Business while he was gone. The Business of the Kingdom of God.
So if you haven’t already, open up with me to Luke chapter 18: 35, I’ll pray and we will get started.
Truth
The first thing that we are going to look at in this section is the very last verse. The reason that we are going to start there is because in it Jesus gives us the essence of his Business Model.
After the demonstration of it’s work in these two men’s lives, Jesus again announces his mission. He tells us why he has come:
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:
Jesus’ Business is to Seek and Save the Lost
Jesus’ Business is to Seek and Save the Lost
We actually looked at this verse back in Chapter 15, when we encountered several parables about lost things. A Lost Sheep. A Lost Coin. A Lost Son. and today we have worked our way up to it’s placement in Luke's Gospel. So I invite you to look for the elements of this theme in these two stories of Jesus. Lets return to Chapter 18:35 where Jesus encounters a blind beggar named Bartimaeus
Bartimaeus the blind beggar
Bartimaeus the blind beggar
As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Luke 18:35-3
Luke 18:
When we studied this story this past Easter, we learned from the book of John that this blind man’s name was Bartimaeus. Being blind, we can deduce that his hearing was especially sensitive so when he heard the roar of the the crowd he knew that something special was happening, but he could not see what it was. His disability kept him from seeing Jesus with his eyes, but it didn’t stop him from understanding Jesus to be the “Son of David”.
This is the first time in the book of Luke that anyone has used this title for Jesus. It was a Messianic title, a Kingdom title, for the Son of King David would have been from his Kingly line.
Above all the crowd that day, this man was going to have his voice heard. What did he have to lose. He was already a poor beggar, was he afraid that people would look down on him? He wanted Jesus to respond so he gave it all he had and Jesus did notice and called for him.
And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”
Luke 18:40
What a question that is isn’t it? “What do you want me to do for you?” It is a searching question isn’t it. A probing one. Any answer to this question will reveal something about the person who is being asked it. What would you say if Jesus stood before you as he stood before Bartimaeus? Whatever you answer, you will be revealing at least two things about yourself.
You have a need that you can’t handle on your own
You have faith that this Jesus can.
“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”
Luke 18:41-
You might remember that we talked about the Greek Word there for “well”. It is the greek word σῴζω (sozo) and in some of the Bibles most familiar verses it is translated “to deliver or save”.
This gives us some indication that receiving his sight was not the only miraculous thing that happened to Bartimaeus that day.
Faith has made you well = has saved you.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
It is possible that the faith that causes Bartimaeus to be able to see was a catalyst for a saving faith in Jesus Christ especially when we see his response: He followed Jesus. He Glorified God. And as His testimony of being made well, of being “delivered or saved” went out to the people, they too gave praise to God for his salvation.
His faith in Jesus has brought him salvation. Jesus had accomplished his mission in It is possible that the faith that Bartimaeus’ displayed here not only brought him back his sight, but brought him into a right relationship with God. What we do know for sure is what he did in response: He followed Jesus. He Glorified God. And as His testimony of salvation went out to the people, they too gave praise to God for his salvation.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Incidentally, the Greek word for “save” in our theme verse is the same word: “sozo”.
Jesus’ first encounter was with a Blind beggar named Bartimaeus, and his second is the somewhat familiar story of :
The second encounter of Jesus in our text today was with the familiar story of the :
The second encounter of Jesus in our text today was with the familiar story of the :
Zacchaeus the chief tax collector
Zacchaeus the chief tax collector
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.
Jesus said he needed to come to Zacchaeus house
If you grew up going to Sunday School like I did, then you might picture Zacchaeus as this cute and cuddly character “climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see...”. But that might not give you an accurate picture of Zacchaeus. While we don’t know exactly what he looked liked, outside of his stature, but the role of the Tax Collector is one that we have often come across in the book of Luke. Zacchaeus was not just another Tax Collector but he was a “Chief Tax Collector”. In other words, he was very good at collecting taxes for the Roman oppressors of his own people. You don’t maintain a grow a position like this with a light heart and “cute and cuddly” demeanor. You would have to be a pretty ruthless, tough skinned and hard hearted person to be so successful in swindling your own people out of their money on behalf of their greatest enemy. Consider now what the face of a man like that would look, put it on a shorter frame, and you will have a much better picture of Zacchaeus.
An interesting connection point of these two stories is that both men were drawn to Jesus because of the crowd, and both men were unable to see Jesus because of some sort of physical limitation. Bartimaeus overcame his obstacle by going over board with his voice, and Zacheaus went overboard with his legs.
that followed after him and both . It was the noise of the crowd that got Bartimaeus’ attention and size of the crowd that drew in Zacchaeus. The text says that he was “seeking to see who Jesus was”, and this leads us to believe that he might not even have known that the one coming through Jericho that day was Jesus, but just someone important. But something seemed to grab his attention, because he was determined to get his eyes on this person, whoever they were.
But something seemed to grab his attention, because he was determined to get his eyes on this person, whoever they were.
So keeping our minds eye dialed in to the face of a ruthless, tough skinned tax collector will help us to be able to see what the people on the road through Jericho saw that day. A man who was being transformed by the presence of Jesus in his city. We see Zacchaeus doing two things that respectable grown men never did in Jesus day was to
1. Run
2. Climb trees
and yet we find Zacchaeus doing both of these things in his attempt to connect with Jesus. There was something going on in the heart of crooked business man, and while he probably could not describe it at this moment, it was causing him to move in ways he probably had not acted since he was a little child.
What did Jesus say about children in the last chapter?
Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
With reckless abandonment we see Zacchaeus perched in a sycamore tree as Jesus calls out out to him:
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
Luke 19:
Something powerful is happening in the heart of this chief tax collector. Remember that the streets were full of people, so much so that Zacchaeus couldn’t even see Jesus, and so he runs ahead of the crowd and like a little boy he climbs up in a tree and not only does he get to see Jesus, but Jesus calls him by name and says that he has an appointment to stay at his house today. He must stay at Zacchaeus’ house. And Zacchaeus “received him joyfully”. What a moment for Zacchaeus.
But not everyone was as excited about this home visit as he was. The crowd of pious Jews had a very different response.
But what did the people think if Jesus’ move to make this man’s home his destination?
And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
Luke 19:
While we see incredible heart change in the life of Zacchaeus, the people in the crowd seem to be still singing the same sad song.
Rememeber they told Bartimaeus to be quiet and stop carrying on so, Jesus doesn’t have time for the likes of you - and here they are found grumbling that out of all the houses in Jericho, Jesus would go to the house of a traitor like Zacchaeus. The people still don’t understand Jesus’ mission do they? They still don’t understand that He has come to “seek and to save the lost”.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke then gives us further evidence that the presence of Jesus has penetrated the heart of this Tax Collector and brought him to a saving faith.
Just like the crowds who told Bartimaeus to be quiet
The truth is that Jericho, while close to
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.
he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong.
Remember the Rich Young Ruler that we met last week who was unwilling to part with his wealth in order to follow Jesus? Here we find a wealthy man with a very different response.
Without a word from Jesus, he delcares that he will give away half of his wealth to the poor and if he has cheated anyone he would pay back 4 times as much. We don’t have the rest of the numbers to do precise math on this, but considering how much Tax Collectors were known to cheat people, he could have been delcaring that he was giving all or most of his money away that day.
Even the Jewish law only required you to add 20% of what you cheated from someone in restitution, but this man’s heart was so full that he was offering 400% to anyone he had cheated. That is how much he valued Jesus’ presence in his life. This Jesus who who knew his name, sought him out because he must come to his house, and then declared his salvation as he evidenced a true faith in Jesus.
Jesus’ business is to seek and save the lost
Jesus’ business is to seek and save the lost
Jesus Entrusts his Business to his Disciples
Jesus Entrusts his Business to his Disciples
Jesus has entrusted his Business to his Disciples
Jesus has entrusted his Business to his Disciples
Jesus knew that there were people in the crowd that day with little understanding of what his business was all about. Many of them expected that his business would be to enter Jerusalem in such a way that Rome would got scampering out with their tail between their legs. Then Jesus would set up his kingdom right there and then. That the nation of Israel would be the powerhouse that once was. Remember these were also the same ones that told Bartimaeus to quit his bellowing and the same ones who grumbled about Jesus’ plan to dine with Zacchaeus. The conquering King they had in mind would not have time for a blind beggar, nor would he be kind to any friend of Rome.
So Jesus told a parable to clarify that His Kingdom is both already and not yet, and that his Disciples will be held accountable for handling his business in the in between time.
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.
We can see the parallels here: Jesus was heading into Jerusalem to depart to a “far country to recieve for himself a kingdom and then return. Even the 12 Disciples did not really understand this yet, but Jesus wanted them to know what his expectation were for the in between time.
This was Jesus telling the people that day that he was not going to Jerusalem to establish his Kingdom at this time, but was leaving for a “far country” to recieve his kingdom. Jesus was going to receive his kingdom, but it was not going to happen as he enters Jerusalem. He was heading to Jerusalem to die on the cross, leave this world but he will return to recieve his Kingdom. So what does he do in preparation for his leaving?
Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’
Luke 19:11-
Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
10 servants, 10 people who are loyal to the nombleman and serve him as their Lord. What are they to do? They are take what he has given them and to ‘engage in business” with his investment until he returns. Some of your translations might say “Put it to work” and it is the same idea. A mina is about 3 months salary for a laborer in that day, so they had enough to get after the business of thier Lord.
But the nobleman and his servants are not the only characters in Luke’s version of this story - there are also the citizens.
But the nobleman and the servants are not the only characters in Luke’s version of this story - there are also the citizens.
to rise again, take his seat next to the Father and then to return for his leaving this world and then he will return
But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
We see a foreshadowing here of what will soon happen in Jerusalem as Pilot brings the tortured and bloodied Jesus before his people the Jews. and ... and
They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
What were they saying but “we do not want this man to be our King”. They were even declaring themselves loyal to the Roman Emporer over one of their own
So we have the nobleman who has left to receive his kingdom, the servants that have declared their loyalty to him and the citizens who have declared him #not my king.
Understand that this is where you and I stand today in this parable. In between verses 14 and 15.
If we are loyal servants then our “nobleman” Jesus has invested in us, and given us the command to engage in business on his behalf, that on his return we will have something to offer him.
If we sit today opposed to Jesus, if we are sitting here today saying “He is not my King” then we are like the “Citizens” who declared the same thing.
That is where we are today, so with that in mind, lets learn from the rest of Jesus’ parable.
So with these characters in mind, lets continue to read Jesus’ parable.
When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
Luke 19:15-26
3 months wages was nothing compared to the command of a city! Let alone 5 or 10 cities. That is quite a responsibility, but these men have proven themselves faithful.
it was a very fitting way to describe those who were reject Jesus as their King as the Jews that day would have connected with the emotions behind it.
You see Herod the Great was dividing his kingdom up among his sons, and his son Archelaus was given the position of ruler over the province of Judah, which included both Jericho and Jerusalem.
1. Faithful Servants
1. Faithful Servants
Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’
The noblemen declared this servant to be an
Un-Faithful Servant
Un-Faithful Servant
It is important to understand what this servant did that was so wrong. The servant was condemned because he did nothing with what was entrusted to him.
Maybe he was lazy.
Maybe he was fearful, didn’t want to risk messing it up.
Maybe he didn’t feel he was good enough to make a difference and he might lose what he had
Maybe he got busy doing other things, but he was going to get around to it eventually.
Maybe the nobleman had been gone for so long that he figured it didn’t matter anymore
Maybe any or all of these things, we don’t know but that is probably the point as we can see ourselves in many or all of thoses things. The reason why really doesn’t matter all that much, what matters is that when Jesus returned and ask him what he did with what Jesus had given him - he had done nothing.
And what is the nobleman’s response?
And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Luke 19:25
Understand that it was not that this servant tried and failed - He did not even try. He just hid the investment that the nobleman gave him, instead of being about the business of the Kingdom. In the Business of Jesus, faithfulness in our responsibilities is rewarded with more responsibilities. This is one area where good earthly business practices cross over with “The Business” of Jesus. If you are not faithfully executing the business then you are not going to get more, in fact we are going to give your responsibilities to someone else and you are out of a job. Unfortunately there are probably not enough business that practice this principle, and they keep paying people to just take up space - God doesn’t make that mistake.
‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Finally, Jesus addresses the third group of people in his parable:
Rejecting Citizens
Rejecting Citizens
But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’ ”
Luke 19:
Rebellious Citizens
Rebellious Citizens
Many of the details of this parable are more familiar from Matthews telling of it in the Gospel of . In Matthew it is a different monitary value, he uses the term “talent” so it is called the more familiar “Parable of the Talents” there. Matthew doesn’t include Jesus’ remarks about this third group of people that Luke does. We don’t really know why Luke chose to focus us in on this part of Jesus’ teaching, but it might be because of his drive for historical accuracy. The idea of “citizens” rejecting an appointment of a son to a ruling position over them is one that was a part of recent history at the time.
About 30 years earlier, Herod the Great was dying. You remember Herod the Great was the one who was visited by the wise men at Jesus birth and when he was duped by them he had every boy under the age of three murdered. Horrible guy. Well he was dying and wanted to leave his kingdom to his sons and he offered the regions of Judea and Samaria to his son Archelaus, but appointment like this had to be cleared by Rome. So Archelaus left for Rome, but before he left there was a riot in Jerusalem and he had 3,000 Jews slaughtered. The Jews were already tired of the murderous ways of Herod the Great, so since his son demonstrated a similar propensity for evil they sent a delegation of 50 Jewish men to Rome to object to the appointment. Their objections was ignored and Archelaus was made King and then had those who opposed his appointment murdered in front of him.
It’s possible that since Matthew wrote his Gospel primarily to a Jewish audience, he didn’t want them to be distracted from the point of Jesus’ story by including something that hit so close to home. Luke, however, was more of a stickler for details so probably wanted to make sure that even these politically charged facts were known.
Just like we talked about last week, we are not to compare everything about an evil ruler like Archelaus to the rule of Jesus. There is no comparrison, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. The point is not to compare Jesus to Archelaus., but to offer an example of how there are always consequences for rejecting a King in his Kingdom.
We talked about this last week in our teachinwe are not to see this verse as a comparison between an evil ruler like Archelaus and Jesus. What we are to take away from this is that there are consequences for rejecting the King...
Gospel Application
There are only two options for every person on earth, you are either a servant of Jesus Christ or you are an “Enemy”. There is no third option. There is no neutral. And one day we will appear before Jesus and just like all three of the catagories of people in the parable we will have to give an account for what we have done with what God has given us in Christ Jesus.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Or in the Prophetic book of Revelation we find Jesus saying this about future things:
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
When that day comes will you stand as an enemy of Jesus, or will you stand with his servants? If you don’t know then you need to find out today! Talk to someone you trust, someone that you have seen evidence of a life submitted to Jesus and ask them about what you are missing. If you don’t know who to talk to, come see me. I would love to talk to you about this. Don’t remain as an enemy of the God who loves you so much that he made a way for you to not be his enemy any more.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Every person in this room at one point stood as an enemy of God and the only difference is that some of us have submitted to Jesus as our Lord and our savior and we show evidence of this in how we serve him.
Every person in this room at one point stood as an enemy of God and the only difference is that some of us have submitted to Jesus as our Lord and our savior and we show evidence of this in how we serve him.
Speaking of His servants, when Jesus returns what will we have to show him in response to all that he has invested in us. You might ask, what has Jesus invested in us? Well first and foremost is the hope that we have in the good news of the Gospel. The Good News that even thought we were once enemies of God, through Jesus God now calls us his Sons. With everything that goes with it.
And what about this other group of us, the servants. When Jesus returns what will we have to show him in response to all that he has invested in us. You might ask, what has Jesus invested in us? Well first and foremost is the hope that we have in the good news of the Gospel. The Good News that even thought we were once enemies of God, through Jesus God now calls us his Sons. With everything that goes with it.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
A
Because I have been a follower of Jesus Christ for so long, I think I sometimes forget about how devastating it must be to live without the hope found in him. I am often reminded of it when I have acquaintances, friends or family members who don’t know Jesus and they are going through a difficult time and I don’t know what to tell them to hope in. I don’t know how you keep going without the hope found only in Jesus.
And what about this other group of us, the servants. When Jesus returns what will we have to show him in response to all that he has invested in us. You might ask, what has Jesus invested in us? Well first and foremost is the hope that we have in the good news of the Gospel. The Good News that even thought we were once enemies of God, through Jesus God now calls us Sons.
God has invested so much in us, and he expects that we will follow through in “The Business”
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
In the parable the nobleman just gave his servants money to invest, but Jesus has given us much more. How will we invest it? How are we going “Engage in his Business” until he returns.
Not only do we have the hope of the message of the Gospel, but when we submit ourselves to his Lordship he gives us the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to know, understand and be sustained in situations that would crush most people. The Holy Spirit inspired the authors of God’s Worddoes this, he gives us strength in ways that I know I have only begun to understand.
God has also given us his Word, The Bible and as the Holy Spirit inspired it’s authors it is powerful. That is why here at Friendship we spend so much time reading it, studying it and helping each other to apply it in our life.
God has also given us the Fruit of the Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
These things don’t come by obeying the law, they come by the gift of the Holy Spirit that is working within the believer and accomplishes these things.
In the parable the nobleman just gave his servants money to invest, but Jesus has given us much more.
applying like this. What would my life look like if everyday I remembered how much the hope in Jesus has I wonder if I lived every day remembering how much the hope that Jesus offers has changed my life.
We are to “Engage in his Business” until he returns.
How will we invest it? How are we going “Engage in his Business” until he returns.
for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Landing
Romans
If we are followers of Jesus then we will have to give an account for how we spent every aspect of our lives. So the million dollar question for us is how can we be about “The Business” of Jesus in everything that we do day by day?
When we are at Home
When we are at Work
When we are out with friends
When we are out with our “work friends”
When we are out with our hutning buddies
When we are sitting on the bleachers at the school game
Or when we are out on the field or court
We are to be about “The Business of Jesus” :
Our Job
Our Paychecks
Our Weekends
Our Education
Our Health
Our Family
Our Testimony
Even things like our stuggles, suffering and pain can and should be invested in Jesus Business of “Seeking and Saving the Lost”
Landing
You heard (Todd/Denny) mention the Gospel Project initiative that we are going to start in two weeks, and one of the elements of that experience that I am most excited is how each of these lessons ends in the same way. The last step in each lesson is something called “My Mission”. It is an opportunity to consider what it is that we just learned together from God’s Word and how we are going to apply that principle or truth in Kingdom business in the coming week. It is not necessarily going to earth shattering stuff, but it will be a way for us to bring intention focus into our investments into God’s Kingdom, and I am excited to see how God might use this to see Friendship Church grow as a body and impact the world around us.
Jesus business is to seek and save the lost
Jesus business is to seek and save the lost
People like Blind Bartimaeus and the Traitor Zacchaeus
Jesus has entrusted his Business to (us) his Disciples
Jesus has entrusted his Business to (us) his Disciples
Who is it that will be pointed to Jesus because of how we have “Engaged in the Business of Jesus”?
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Landing