A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

Luke 19:11-27

Don’t you wonder, sometimes, about life after death?  What will Judgment Day be like?

• What will it be like to stand before God and have to give an account for deeds done in the body whether good or bad? 
• Will God really reveal all our inner thoughts and secret deeds?

And what will heaven be like? 

• Will we sit around and worship, or will there be a variety of activities and challenges? 
• Will all of us have the same status in heaven, or will some be more significant than others?

And what will hell be like? 

• Will God really punish people for their sins? 
• Will a good, moral person who just never accepted Jesus as Savior receive the same punishment as Adolph Hitler? 

And what kind off changes will take place in our bodies in eternity?

• Will we recognize each other? 
• Will we even want to?
• Will we have any pain? 
• Will we never age? 

There are all kinds of unanswered questions.  I guess that’s why movies like The Sixth Sense and television programs like Crossing Over, and books like Embraced by the Light have been so popular; people wonder what awaits them in the afterlife. 

In Luke 19, Jesus told a parable that gives some insight into the changes that await us when we pass from this life into eternity.  It’s called the parable of the Minas, and it’s very similar to the parable of the Talents in Matthew’s Gospel. But there are some significant differences.  In fact, this is a difficult parable.  But if you’ll look at the words of Jesus with me today from Luke 19, I think we’ll discover some important lessons today about judgment and eternity.

Luke 19:11, “While they were listening to this Jesus went on to tell them a parable because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.”  Jesus was heading for Jerusalem.  He was in Jericho, just 17 miles away, this is the last time that he was going.  Jerusalem was the capital city.  Enthusiasm was high. Some expected that at any moment Jesus would announce himself publicly as the Messiah and he would take control of the world.  But Jesus knew that in less than 2 weeks he would be crucified and the kingdom of God was going to be much, much different than these people thought.  So he told this parable to give his disciples and us a better understanding of what was going to transpire.  And I want you to see four basic truths that should help us prepare for the transition from this world and the next.

I.  JESUS IS SOVEREIGN, BUT HIS KINGDOM IS DELAYED

The first truth about the future is this; Jesus Christ is Sovereign, but His kingdom is delayed.  Jesus is the King, but his total dominion is going to take time.  Verse 12, “He said, ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.”  Now as far as we know this is the only parable that Jesus ever told that was based on an historical event. 

Josephus, a first-century historian, tells us that there was a political power struggle that took place in 4 B.C.   When King Herod the Great died, he willed his territory to his three sons; Phillip, Antipas and Arkalous.  And Arkalous, the third son, was given the territory of Judea.  But all three of them contested the will.  And they went to Rome to seek a settlement with Agustus Caesar.  But a group 50 angry Jews hurried to Rome by another route to persuade Caesar not to appoint Arkalous. They had had enough of the Herod family.  Herod had been a brutal ruler and they hated Arkalous. And they begged Caesar, “Please, please, appoint someone else to rule over us.”  They did everything that they could do to prevent his apportionment. 

But Caesar disregarded their request.  And he appointed Arkalous as their ruler.  He did make one concession in that he called him a tetrarch instead of a king.  But when Arkalous took over he rounded up those 50 men who had opposed him and hated him and he brutally executed them and he confiscated all of their property. That was something that the Jewish people never forgot.   It stuck in their memory for decades. And they hated him all the more.  Now the Bible says when Joseph and Mary decided to come back from hiding the baby Jesus in Egypt, that when Joseph heard that Arkalous was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  “Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.”  33 years later when Jesus said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant county to have himself appointed king and then to return,” his audience immediately identified that with that historical event. 

Verse 13, “So he called 10 of his servants and gave them 10 minas.”  Now, a mina was a unit of money that was worth 3 month's wages. This was a pretty good chunck of money.  “Put this to work, he said, until I come back. But his subjects hated him and sent a  delegation after him saying, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’”  Now, from the time Jesus first arrived, there were those who hated him and said, “We don’t want this man to rule over us.”

·         When the wise men said to Herod, “Where is he who was born King of the Jews?”, Herod said, “We don’t want this man to rule over us, and he ordered all the baby boys in and around Jerusalem be executed.

·         When Jesus began his ministry in Nazareth and he stood up in the synagogue and said, “This day this scripture is fulfilled in your ears,”  the people in his own hometown said, “We don’t want this man to rule over us.”, and they tried to throw him over the edge of a cliff.

·         When He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the people lined the streets and shouted, ‘Hail to the King!’, the religious leaders said, “Oh, we don't want this man to rule over us.’, and they plotted to kill him.

·         Later, when the disciples went out into the streets of Jerusalem and said, “God has made this Jesus whom you have crucified to be raised from the dead and now he is both Lord and Christ,” the Sanhedrin said, “We don’t want this man to rule over us,” so they imprisoned the disciples, and they stoned Stephen, and they beheaded James, and they opposed the Apostle Paul everywhere he went.  And Jesus predicted, “All men will hate you because of me. But he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

So, the church today that proclaims Jesus is King of Kings should not be surprised if people still say, “We don’t want this man to rule over us.  You take that man’s 10 Commandments off the courtroom walls.  You take that man’s prayer out of the football game.  You take that man’s Bible out of the public arena.  You take that man’s church out of politics.”

Philippians 2 says that when Jesus ascended into heaven God crowned him King of Kings. “God exalted him the highest place and gave him a name that is above all names. That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”  Every knee should bow, every tongue should confess . .  but they don’t.  Jesus Christ reigns right now in the hearts of people who voluntarily submit to him. But Jesus is not Lord right now over every hard heart, over every raunchy entertainment, every shady business activity, or even every church’s decision.  The Bible says that temporarily Satan is the Prince of  this world.  He’s called in the bible, “The god of this age”, he’s called the “Prince of darkness”.  Satan bragged to Jesus, “Bow down and worship me and I will give you all these kingdoms.”  That’s why Christians are foreigners and strangers in this world.  Right now, there is much in this world that is temporarily under Satan’s control.  Now Revelation 19 says that when Jesus Christ returns one day, “He’s going to Judge and make war.  He will come with the armies of heaven and put his enemies under his feet.”  And verse 15 of Revelation 19 says, “Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which he will strike down the nations and he will rule them with an iron scepter.  And on his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”  But that’s yet to come. Right now we have to wait for his administration to fully take over.  We have to tolerate temporary victory by the adversary. We have to patiently love and try to reach those who hate him and oppose him. One day Jesus Christ is going to return as King, but right now His total sovereignty is delayed and we’ve got to be patient.

I.                   HIS SERVANTS WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

Here’s the second lesson we learn from Luke 19; His servants will be held accountable when Jesus returns.  “A nobleman went to a distant country to be made king.  His subjects hated him and protested, ‘We don’t want him to be our king.’”  Verse 15, “He was made king, however and returned home.  Then he sent for the  servants to whom he had given the money in order to find out what they had gained with it.”

Now the Lord has entrusted each of us with his treasure.  Our “mina" can represent our money, our talents, our children, and the Gospel.  He’s entrusted us with all kinds of valuable treasure. And we are expected, individually, to make an effort to increase that gift. 

·         If we’re gifted to make money, we’re to be good stewards of that gift and to increase making money.  Not so that we can indulge or hoard, but so that we can have some to share. 

·         If we’re gifted to teach, lead, sing, program computers, or to inspire children, we’re to develop and improve those skills.  You ought to be more talented, more skilled at what you do than you were five years ago. 

·         Since we’ve been entrusted with the gospel, we’re to expand it and develop its riches in our lives.  We ought to be better Christian than we were five years ago.  2 Peter 1:5-8 says, “make very effort to add to your faith goodness and to goodness knowledge and self-control and perseverance, and godliness and brotherly kindness and love.”  And then verse 8 says, “If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Now, when the Lord returns, he is going to hold us accountable for what he has entrusted to us.  He’s going to audit the books. On Judgment day, he’s going to evaluate our effort and our productivity. And what we think we’ve done in secret is going to be made known to all the Bible says.  Luke 12:2-3 says, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. What you’ve said in the dark will be hard in the daylight.  What you’ve whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.”  In fact, Matthew’s Gospel in 12:36 says, “I tell you that men will have to give an account on Judgment for every careless word that they have spoken.”  John Stott wrote, “Nothing will more quickly rid us of laziness and coldness of hypocrisy, cowardice, and pride than the knowledge that God sees, hears, and takes into account.”

II.                THE SAVED WILL BE REWARDED

Here’s the third lesson; the saved will be rewarded in proportion to their faithfulness.  Verse 16, “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned 10 more.’  Well, done my good servant, his master replied.  Because you’ve been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of 10 cities.’  The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned 5 more.’  And his master answered, ‘You take charge of 5 cities.’” 

Now, before I talk much about those verses, I want to make a couple of clarifying points.  Number 1; We are saved by grace, we are rewarded according to works.  We don’t earn our salvation by works.  It’s a gift that we receive by placing our trust in Jesus Christ.  That’s the only way we can receive it.  So when I speak about a reward, I’m not talking about going to heaven, but the special acknowledgment that will belong to the faithful. Secondly, the sins of the believer have been deleted from the record.  This is such good news.  The Christian will not have to give an account for sin on Judgement day because the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all our sin.  God has buried our sin in the deepest sea and he won’t remember it any more, the Bible says. As far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgression from us. And he’s not going to retrieve it.  He’s erased the videotapes of the Christian.  He sees us as a bride without spot or blemish.  But, the Bible does say in II Corinthians 5:10, “We must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ that each may receive what is due him for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.” 

I picture Judgment Day kind of like Graduation Day for High School seniors.  The special students are honored while those who just barely made it are given diplomas, too.  The Assistant principal reads, “Susan Kennedy, member of the National Honor Society, Salutatorian, perfect 4 point average, all-state in soccer, President of the FCA, recipient of a $10,000 National Merit Scholarship.” And the family beams and everybody applauds enthusiastically.  And then the Assistant principle calls out the next name, “Michael Johnson.”  Michael receives his diploma but there are no honors associated with his name.  People applaud politely.  Michael is delighted to graduate. There are no special awards, but neither are his failures made public. The principal doesn’t say, “Michael was kicked out of social Studies class three times in one month.  He was suspended for coming to school drunk 2 times.  He failed English in his sophomore year.  He was a constant pain to his teachers.  Michael, here’s your diploma.”  No, those failures are disregarded and he receives his diploma.  I think that’s what judgment day is for the Christian; no disclosure of the embarrassing moments, but some will graduate to the next level just by the skin of their teeth. 

Now, where do I get an idea like that?  That’s what’s meant, in my understanding, of I Corinthians 3:12 and following.  “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, or costly stones” (those are valuable metals that don’t burn except under intense heat) “wood, hay or straw” (which are combustible) “his work will be shown for what it is because the day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through flames.”  You see, there will be some people who are barely saved and make it into heaven by the skin of their teeth, but there are others who will be saved and rewarded.

And the rewards, then, will be given in direct proportion to our faithfulness.  To the one who earned 10 minas he gave 10 cites.  To the one with five minas, he gave 5 cities.  God is going to judge fairly, but not necessarily reward equally. There will be degrees of reward in heaven.  A person who lives as sinful life all of his life then makes a death-bed confession will be saved, but certainly not rewarded the way martyrs like the Apostle Paul will be. The Lord told those who were persecuted for righteousness sake to rejoice and be exceedingly glad because great is your reward in heaven.  Ephesians 6:8 says that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he’s a slave or free man.  And the rewards will be far beyond what we have earned. In the parable you’d expect the king to say, “Well, you’ve earned 10 more minas.  I’ll give you a 20% bonus.”  But he doesn’t say that.  Instead he says to his servant, “I’m going to give you 10 cities to rule.”  God is like a generous wealthy father who loves to lavish gifts on his children.  He’s promised to reward even a cup of cold water given in his name.  And the reward the Father in heaven has in store exceeds anything we have earned or deserve.  And I think we’ll spend eternity in awe of the grace of our God. 

IV. THE DISOBEDIENT WILL BE PUNISHED

That brings me to the final point; the disobedient will be punished because of their wickedness.  Look at verse 20, “Then another servant came and said, ‘sir, here’s your mina.  I kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.  I was afraid of you because you are a hard man because you take out what you did not put in and you reap what you did not sow.’”  Now, this servant made a couple of really dumb mistakes. First, he was disobedient to the king.  The king had said, “Put this mina to work,” and he did just the opposite.  He put it on a shelf.  Secondly, he was fearful of the king.  He had a wrong perception of the king’s character.  He thought of him as a harsh, demanding man. When, in reality, the evidence is he was pretty loving and generous. But if he really did fear the king, wouldn’t that at least have motivated him to be obedient?  The truth probably is that he didn’t think about the master at all. He just thought about himself. 

So, verse 22, “The master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words.  You wicked servant.  You knew, did you , that I'm a hard man taking out what I did not put in, reaping what I did not sow?  Why then didn’t you put my money deposit so that when I came back I could have collected it with interest?  Then he said to those standing by, take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.’  ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has 10.’  He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has more will be given.  But as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.’  But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them – bring them here and kill them in front of me.”

The king is generous and compassionate, but he is also a strong ruler.  He doesn’t tolerate those who aggressively oppose him forever. And the Bible teaches us that God is going to judge the rebellious.  He gives opportunity after opportunity. But if you say all of your life, “I don’t want this man to rule over me.”, eventually he will judge your rebellion.  Revelation 20:15 says, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  Now, I know that in many churches today the doctrine of hell has gone the way of the hula hoop.  And everybody’s trying their best to air-condition hell.  I do think there will be degrees of punishment in hell. The Bible says “He judges justly.  He judges the dead according to what they have done as recorded in the books.”  Jesus warned people, “It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than it will be for you.”  But at the very best, hell is described as a place of fire, and darkness and weeping. At the very worst, hell is eternal separation from all that is good from God.

The Lord is full of grace. The Lord is loving. But he’s not a wimp.  He’s not a doormat.  The Bible says, “It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.”  But the great news is that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.  And if we respond to Jesus as Savior, he cleanses our sin and saves us from hell.  Mark 16:16 says, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved. But whoever does not believe will be condemned.” 

If you’ve been thinking about making a personal decision for Jesus Christ, don’t put it off any longer. Come today in your faith, your repentance, and your confession of Jesus as Lord.  Submit to a baptism into him and your sins will be forgiven and you can begin using your talents to bring praise to the One who called you out of the darkness into the kingdom of his glorious light.  Come as we stand and sing.