The Unconverted “Believer” (25); Finishing in Faith 08/22/2021

And Dave Farrar will come at this time and read for us the last chapter of the book of Acts.

And so Paul arrives at the city of Rome and he's able to preach the things

of the kingdom of God without hindrance and so The Lord

accomplished his purpose and his promise to Paul that he would bear witness before Kings and he would even be

in Rome.

Acts 28 Acts

chapter 28.

After we were brought safely through We then learned that the island was called

Malta.

The native people showed us unusual kindness For they killed it kindled a fire and

welcomed us all because it had begun to rain and was cold.

When Paul had gathered a Bundle of sticks and put them on the fire a viper

came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.

When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand That said to one another

no doubt.

This man is a murderer.

Though he has escaped from the sea just as has not allowed him to live he

however shook off the creature into the fire and Suffered no harm.

They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead.

But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him They

changed their minds and said that he was a god.

Now when the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief men of the island

a Publis who received us and then entertained us hospitably for

three days it happened That the father of pebulous lay sick

and with fever and dysentery and Paul visited him and prayed and putting his

hands on him healed him.

And when this had taken place the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also

came and were cured.

They also honored us greatly and we were when we were about to sail.

They put on board whatever we needed after three months.

We set sail in a ship that had been wintered in the eye on the island a ship of Alexandria

With the twin gods as a figurehead.

Putting in at Syracuse we stayed there for three days and from there We made a

circuit and arrived at Rio Gilm and after one day a south wind sprang up

on and on the second day we came to Protily there we found

brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days.

And so we came to Rome and the brothers there when they heard about us Came as far as

forum of epaulets and three taverns to meet us on seeing them

Paul thanked God and took courage and When we came into Rome Paul was allowed to stay

by himself With the soldiers that guarded him.

After three days, he called together the local leaders of the Jews.

And when they had gathered he said to them Brothers, though I had done nothing against

our people or the customs of our fathers Yet I was delivered as a prisoner

from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

When they had examined me, they wished to set me at Liberty Because there was no reason for the

death penalty in my case.

But because the Jews objected I was compelled to appeal to Caesar

Though I had no charge to bring against my nation for this reason therefore

I have asked to see you and Speak with you since it is because of the hope of

Israel that I'm wearing this chain.

And they said to him We have received no letters from Judea about you and none

of the brothers coming here has reported Or spoken any evil about you,

but we desire to hear from you what your views are.

For with regard to this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against.

When they had appointed a day for him they came to him to at his lodging in great

numbers.

From morning until evening he expounded to them Testifying to the kingdom of God

and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the

prophets and Some were convinced by what he said While the others disbelieved

and disagreeing amongst themselves.

They departed after Paul had made one statement The Holy Spirit was right and

seeing saying to your fathers through the Isaiah the prophet

Go to this people and say You will indeed hear But never

understand.

You will indeed see but never perceive.

For the people's heart has grown dull.

And with their ears they can barely hear and where their eyes they have closed

less they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and

Understand with their hearts and turn and I would heal them.

Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent

to the Gentiles.

They will listen.

He lived there for two whole years at his own expense and Welcomed all who

came to him proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the

Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

Let's pray.

Oh Lord our Lord.

How majestic is your name in all the earth?

You have set your glory above the heavens.

We're thankful for that Lord and we think about.

You.

We think about you all -powerful Almighty all kind

Have delivered us and Lord we come this morning being thankful

for what we have.

Thankful for what you have done for each one of us.

Thankful Lord that you Sent your dear son the Lord Jesus Christ.

So Lord, even though there are troubles in the land all around us we know that you

are our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble.

So we come Lord today To listen to this last sermon in this series.

We're thankful for our pastor for his faithful preaching and May the Holy Spirit Lord

fill him with your word for Christ's sake. Amen.

Well today we'll give our attention to a passage from Luke chapter 12.

So if you have your Bibles, you might turn there.

We'll read from there in a few minutes.

So today we conclude our series the unconverted believer In which we have addressed

this problem.

And.

Prevalency of nominal Christianity.

It's a plague in evangelicalism throughout the world Christians in name only.

And so we've examined this matter for many vantage points today's what the 25th Lord's Day we've given to this

In our efforts to expose and correct this significant spiritual problem.

And it's been a desire intention that no one within the influence of this church's ministry Be

uninformed or unmoved so that they will be among many the Lord Jesus said

Who one dear one day hear his words pronounced to them.

I Never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness.

Now what we've declared regarding his matters is controversial.

We know that Most churches would not tolerate what we have shown to be scriptural teaching

regarding salvation.

But we've cited numerous voices mostly voices from the past.

From books that we that we have that reinforce our understanding of these matters

and recently I Completed reading the book by Arthur pink an exposition of the Sermon on

the Mount.

I've had it for years.

But I've elevated that to my top 10 list frankly I've recommended books for the Christian life.

It's absolutely wonderful.

And I found he asserted the same things we've taught I think probably in a better more clear fashion

but the same things and it was reinforcing to read his words.

Well in this series We have identified and corrected a number of commonly held and propagated errors

respecting the way of salvation That is thought to be taught in the Bible.

I want to take a few minutes and rehearse some of the major Issues that we have sought to address.

There are more than these but here are Some important ones that came to mind.

First, of course, we've emphasized repeatedly salvation is more than just the forgiveness of sins.

Salvation is commonly and popularly but wrongly reduced to God forgiving people of their sins.

As though that were the total of salvation.

Certainly, although God's justification of the sinner is granted through faith alone, which involves God's forgiveness of

sins and the Imputation of Christ's righteousness is a gift to the believing sinner.

Salvation is much more than just Justification as important

and foundational essential as that is.

The biblical gospel must Therefore entail more than the mere promise that God will forgive a sinner of his

sins if he but believes on Jesus.

That is not the gospel.

Biblical salvation includes the believers justification, but in addition his

reconciliation and adoption his sanctification and his future

glorification.

God saves people from sin from the guilt of sin from the alienated

effects of sin from the power of sin and finally from the very presence of sin.

And the gospel message we proclaim must address these aspects of God's salvation from

sin or else it's a truncated Message, it's not the biblical gospel.

Most gospel tracts you read.

Reflect this error.

This is how you can have your sins forgiven except Jesus is your personal Savior as though.

That's all the Bible taught.

Secondly coming to salvation is not a one -time decision to accept Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior.

That has been prevalent now for under 150 years in evangelicalism.

The commonly heard message if you but accept Jesus Christ is your personal Savior.

You will be saved if you but make a decision for Christ.

But this is not the biblical gospel.

For again, it doesn't speak fully to the sinners need of salvation and there are several unbiblical

ideas revealed in this line of thinking.

First although certainly God declares upon the initial faith of the believing sinner that he has

justified him.

It's wrong to conclude that God calls only for a one -time decision that he will regard as saving faith.

Remember talking to one man Who was characterized by

drunkenness?

In his 50s, I believe.

And I began to speak about the gospel to him.

Oh, I did that when I was a teenager.

All right.

He had made a decision at a I think a camp somewhere and he thought that covered him.

That's not saving faith.

Saving faith is a continual Believing on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is

not a one -time decision to believe.

Arthur Pink wrote.

Saving faith is not an isolated act which suffices for the remainder of a person's life.

Rather, it's a living principle which continues in activity ever seeking the only object That would be

God Christ which can satisfy it.

Nor is it a thing apart? but a productive principle which issues in good works and spiritual fruits.

And Then thirdly initial saving faith is the entrance into a way of

life That leads to full and final salvation.

One of the great errors is thinking that salvation is just a one -time decision.

No the there's a way on to salvation because salvation is a Future promise a

future prospect in which the true believer has hope.

Paul wrote now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Although Paul regarded himself and his readers as having been justified Romans 5 1 he did not

yet regard himself or his readers as having experienced full salvation.

Salvation is the future hope of the believer of his resurrection from the dead and of his exoneration

before the judgment seat of Christ.

Justification is the initial coming to experience God's forgiveness of sins and the resultant peace that

Christ secured for his people again Romans 5 1.

But salvation is largely biblically a certain future prospect and

hope for the Christian and Evangelicalism has lost sight of that almost completely in

in my perception.

And Then forth saving faith involves embracing and submitting on to Jesus Christ as Lord as

well as one's personal Savior.

This is so commonly taught in Scripture it's hard to imagine that there are those who who don't believe this

but there are many perhaps half of evangelicalism would React

negatively to that statement of number four.

Biblical salvation brings about the reversal and recovery of a fallen man.

It removes his rebellious heart gives him the heart to love righteousness to love God's people and to love

God himself.

Repentance from sin is turning to Jesus.

The Lord is foundational Without which there is no salvation.

As one wrote saving faith not only trust in Christ but follows him.

Coming to saving faith is the full and total surrender of one's life to follow Jesus Christ in faith.

Love and obedience.

The person who's not following Christ has no basis of assurance of salvation.

Because that's what a true believer does follows Christ.

Takes up his cross daily and follows him.

That's what Christians do and Similarly point five to become a true Christian is to

become a disciple a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Saving faith is shown in the believer following a course of obedience doing the will of God

through life on to final Salvation as the Lord Jesus declared entered by the narrow

gate.

Why?

For wide as a gate broad as the way that leads to destruction.

There are many who go in by it because narrow is a gate and difficult is the way that leads on

to life.

That life is talking about eternal life at the end of the life of faith.

It's a way and it's a difficult way because narrow is a gate difficult is the way which leads to

life and there are but few.

Who find it?

Charles Spurgeon wrote.

Conversion is a turning onto a right road.

The next thing is to walk in it.

The daily going on in that road is as essential as the first starting if you would reach the desired end.

To strike the first blow is not all the battle to him that overcometh the crown is promised.

To start in the race is nothing many have done that who have failed.

But to hold out till you reach the winning post is the great point of the matter.

Perseverance is as necessary to a man's salvation as conversion.

And then six it's wrongly thought that good works are unnecessary in order to obtain

salvation and here's probably the greatest point of

Resistance and rejection.

Saving faith shows forth itself in a life characterized by good works.

Ephesians 2 10.

The Christians good works are not the basis of God's acceptance of him.

That would be heresy, but they are the evidence that he's a true Christian a true believer in Jesus Christ.

Good works are essential.

But again a denial of this is one of the major errors of the day.

Many believe that one's works have no bearing at all on salvation.

It's commonly but wrongly thought as long as I believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior who died upon the

cross to pay for my Sins, it does not matter how I live for I'm saved apart from works.

And that will lead us all to hell just as sure as anything.

Arthur pink addressed this as the greatest problem that the preacher must confront and overcome in

today's world.

He died in 1952.

Now it is the duty of God's servants to provide help to exercise souls on this supremely important matter.

To expose the lies of these false prophets to make plain the way of salvation.

This may be best done by defining and showing the relation of good works on to salvation.

For it is at this point more than any other that the emissaries of Satan have fatally deceived souls

and we're talking about Evangelical churches here.

He was talking about evangelical churches.

The principal errors which have been advanced there on may be summed up under these two heads salvation by

works and salvation without works.

Romanus.

Roman Catholics in other words Roman Catholicism have been the chief promulgators of the former.

Insisting that the good works of the Christian have a meritorious value which entitles them to heaven.

And thereby they robbed Christ of much of his glory bringing in something of ours in addition to his blood and righteousness

to obtain acceptance with God.

Romanists do not repudiate in total either the grace of God or the redemption of Christ.

But they nullify both by attributing saving efficacy on to the rights of their church and the performances of

the creature.

Such an error is expressly repudiated and then he cites scriptures.

Then he goes the other way some of the propagators of the salvation without works error

during the last century have assumed the garb of the Orthodox and Thereby obtained a hearing from many

who had never listened to them had their real characters been suspected.

In other words, they're trusted and respected.

They have gone to the opposite extreme and preached the gospel as far removed from the truth as the Romish

lie of salvation by work.

They teach that while good works from Christians are certainly desirable.

Yet they are not imperative.

The absence of them involving merely a loss of certain millennial rewards or honors and not

the missing of heaven itself.

They have interpreted those words of Christ.

It is finished in such a way as to low Multitudes of souls into a false peace as

though he wrought something at the cross which renders it needless.

For sinners to repent forsake their idols renounce the world before they can be saved that nothing

is required from them.

But their simple acceptance of Christ by faith that once they've rested in his finished work.

No matter what their subsequent lives they are eternally secure.

So widely has this fatal doctrine been received?

So thoroughly have these ravenous wolves deceived the religious world by their sheep's clothing that with

rare exceptions.

Anyone who now denounces this deadly evil is to call down upon himself the charge of being

a legalist and a Judaizer and that's how Many many

evangelicals regard me and this church.

While they're legalistic over there at first Baptist, it's a false charge.

Now again pink wrote with rare exceptions anyone who proclaims the nature of salvation.

The biblical gospel of this salvation is charged as being a legalist or Judaizer and I personally found this I

I debated whether to recount this or not, but I thought it illustrates the point the reality.

Here's the words of a radio listener from Maine.

I corresponded with him maybe a dozen different texts over the last ten twelve months

last Fall early last fall.

He was singing my praises.

He loved our radio program.

But when I began to address this series He gradually and then vehemently turned against me and

these were some of the last words.

He wrote in April you're on real dangerous ground bucko and forgive his grammar

and his Spelling and whatnot, but this is how he wrote it.

I'd put your Bible down and not touch it again.

If you're going to refuse to believe it you profess to be a Christian yet.

You do not believe the Bible it makes God sick.

Don't bother message me back.

You're an apostate and you're messing with salvation.

I would be shocked if you don't burn for it.

Don't send me your sermons anymore.

They aren't worth time.

It took to press the send button.

Got thinking about you for some reason.

He had stopped writing me for about eight weeks and then he decided to write me again.

The thief on the cross didn't have works to keep his salvation.

You're gonna hit.

You're going to hell Lars.

You're not saved.

You think you can keep your own salvation by your works.

Salvation is not yours to keep the foundation of Jesus Christ.

To even get here.

You must be saved.

Salvation is not evidenced by work in this dispensation.

In other words, it's church age.

Salvation is through faith alone.

Salvation is permanent works after salvation get the Christian rewards, but works don't keep you.

They don't evidence a thing.

Careful taking doctrine out of James in other words the epistle of James because I quoted James.

Without you know that faith without works is dead.

You don't be careful.

Don't quote from James.

It's to the twelve tribe to the dispersion.

In other words to Jews not Christians.

That's not the church makes you think it might be talking to Saints in the Great Tribulation Aka the time

of Jacob's trouble where it's salvation set up involves works.

See, they believe that the Jews after the rapture of the church will be saved by their works, but not now is

faith.

Even without works.

Just a thought though not saying there's nothing for the Christian there.

In other words in James by any means.

There's good good stuff in James.

Just careful taking doctrine out of it.

Don't want to do that.

Well, my response to him was greetings Jed.

I would encourage you to consider carefully the fact that you're falsely accusing me of teaching heresy.

I've never believed or taught that we are saved by our works or that we keep our salvation by our works for

you to accuse Me of this is wrong and you're buried false witness regarding me.

I attach sermon notes to this email in which I emphasize very strongly our Justification by grace through

faith alone apart from works.

I gave this sermon at the end of January.

And what I've been teaching is that true saving faith must be evidenced by works or if not saving faith.

This is what God's Word declares in Paul's letters and in James and and by John and most

certainly by our Lord himself.

There are two great threats to the biblical teaching regarding grace.

The first is legalism of which you are falsely accusing me.

The second is licentiousness or antinomian ism for which I hope that you are not Advocating to

say that you can be saved without the presence of works as a heresy of antinomian ism.

And that kind of brought an end to her.

Interaction and so.

Include these words to show how they illustrate his words.

Illustrate the importance and need to address the matters that we have that is arisen in this series.

There is much ignorance and many errant beliefs that are proclaimed and perpetrated by wolves in

sheep's clothing.

And they needed to they need to be identified and declared.

I want to include this or conclude this brief summary with the words of Jonathan Edwards and In sending

out my sermon notes this morning.

I attached the full sermon that from which I've taken this excerpt and

It's entitled the manner in which the salvation of the soul is to be sought.

In this sermon Edwards showed how Noah building his ark in order to save himself from the wrath of God and the flood

is Illustrative of how we are to undertake a great work through this life with view to our own salvation.

That's the heart of Edwards sermon.

And so here he's attempting to answer some some

questions or challenges.

Inquiry to why is it needful that men should undertake to go through such a work in order to their salvation?

Answer one not to merit salvation or to recommend them to the saving mercy of God.

Men are not saved on account of any work of theirs.

Yet they are not saved without works.

If we merely consider what it is for which or on account of which men are saved no work at all in them is necessary.

To their salvation in this respect.

They're safe.

Holy without any work of theirs.

Titus 3 5 not by works of righteousness.

Which we have done but according to his mercy.

He saved us by the wash and every generation renewed of the Holy Ghost.

We must indeed be saved on the account of works, but not our own.

It's on account of the works of Christ That Christ had done for us works are the fixed price of eternal life.

It is fixed by an eternal and alterable rule of righteousness.

But since the fall there's no hope of our doing these works without salvation offered freely without money and

without price but or however.

To.

Though it be not needful that we do anything to merit salvation Which Christ hath fully merited for

all who believe in him yet God for wise and holy ends Hath appointed that we should come to final

salvation in no other way.

But that of good works done by us God did not save Noah on account of the labor

and expense.

He wasn't building the ark.

Noah's salvation from the flood was an entrance of the free and distinguishing mercy of God.

Nor did God stand in need of Noah's care or cost or labor to build an ark the same power

which created the world Which brought the flood of waters upon the earth could have made the ark in an instant

Without any care or cost to Noah or any of the labor of those workmen who were employed for so long a time.

Yet God was pleased to a point that Noah should be saved in this way.

So God has appointed that men should not be saved without this undertaking and doing this work of which

I've been speaking and Therefore we are commanded to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling

Philippians 2 12.

I Would urge you to read this sermon.

It's it is incredible.

We might add that Noah built that ark through his faith in what God had told him and promised him.

Hebrews 11 7 reads by faith Noah being divinely warned of things not yet

yet seen moved with godly fear prepared an ark for the saving of His household by which he

condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith.

That's justifying faith.

But that faith was seen in his building an ark and We're justified through faith in

Christ.

But that faith is seen in us building an ark as it were a lifetime of showing

that we're the people of God.

Through how we what we believe but how also how we live.

And so by faith We too are moving with godly fear ordering our lives in view to the

flood of God's fiery judgment.

That is coming upon the world the whole idea of salvation.

Is.

Not clearly and widely taught in today's Evangelical world and that's scary to me.

We're at the top of page five now.

Now we turn our attention to close out our series.

The unconverted believer.

Two Sundays ago.

We address a sinner initially coming to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior last Lord's

Day.

We spoke about the importance of continuing in faith in Jesus Christ Through life and today

will emphasize the importance of completing this life in faith.

It's all important how you end.

I spoke to a pastor he I hadn't talked to him in 45 years.

He was my pastor in Texas.

He was the one who hired me as an associate pastor.

I hadn't talked to him.

He called me a couple months ago.

I know I knew personally that he had struggled in some issues over the years.

I said well, you know pastor may the Lord help you and me finish.

Well he was telling me he contracted Parkinson's disease and

Then he called called me last week and he was in the hospital for two months with kovat now.

He's on a walker and he's probably not gonna be around much longer.

Well, well pastor may the Lord help us finish.

Well It's all important how you finish.

Are you going to be believing when the Lord calls you home?

Are you going to believe him?

If and when the Lord returns, it's all important and Here Luke 12 the Lord

emphasizes this.

Jesus said to his disciples let your waist be guarded and your lamps burning you yourself.

Be like men who wait for their master when he will return from the wedding there when he comes and knocks.

They may open to him immediately.

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 and

If he should come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants.

But know this 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 therefore you also be ready.

For the Son of Man is coming at an hour.

You do not expect.

Then Peter said to him Lord Do you speak this parable only to us or to all people.

And the Lord said who then is that faithful and wise?

Steward whom his master will make ruler over his household.

They give him their portion of food in due season.

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Truly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

But if that servant says in his heart my master is delayed as coming.

It begins to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and be drunk the master that

servant will come on a day when he's not looking for him at an hour when he's not aware

and Will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with who the

unbelievers.

He's talking to believers, isn't he that is professing believers?

He's talking about hypocrites and their fate is the same as unbelievers.

And that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will.

She'll be beaten with many stripes.

But he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few.

For everyone to whom is given from him much will be required and who much has been committed

of him.

They will ask the more there's greater accountability and greater degrees of punishment in

hell depending on how much privilege and opportunity you've

had in this life and think about the opportunity and responsibility of Americans

in what we have been exposed to and have available to us in comparison to

some.

Person in the backwater of Mongolia has never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

The Lord is going to deal in justice.

Well in this portion of Luke's gospel in which these words are recorded we read the Lord Jesus was on his final journey to

Jerusalem.

Luke recorded this journey having begun back in Luke 9 51.

Which reads 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 and As he traveled from Galilee.

It takes up the major portion of Luke from Luke 9 51 all the way to Luke 19 the journey to Jerusalem.

He taught and preached to the people.

He he taught his disciples.

He taught the crowds along the way.

With the arrival to his destination Jesus would meet his destiny to die upon the cross and then be raised from the dead.

He declared later in Luke 13 33.

Nevertheless, I must journey today tomorrow and the day following for it cannot be that a prophet should perish

outside of Jerusalem.

There was a sense of urgency to Jesus.

The time was short.

His heroes must not put off responding to him for the day of salvation Would end soon and then the judgment of

God would befall the entire generation of Jews.

Jesus.

Used this occasion to press upon his disciples their responsibility and their privilege to live in

anticipation of his second coming When he would judge the world in righteousness.

And so this journey to Jerusalem the impending death of Jesus and the subsequent judgment of

God upon Jerusalem provide a sense of importance to Jesus's teaching and a

sense of urgency to his heroes as.

Well as to the readers of the gospel it brings a forcefulness to these words.

And as we glance over these verses we can see an obvious division.

Peter Interjects a question at verse 41 which divides that which goes before that comes after.

The first portion of this teaching session Of Jesus speaks of the important need to be prepared for

the second coming of Jesus Christ.

We may summarize the teaching of verses 35 through 40 as be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man.

The second portion of our Lord's Speech to his disciple speaks of the blessing that his faithful servants will

experience if the Lord finds them in faith that is coming and so the second

Section may be entitled the blessing of those prepared for his coming.

But there's also a warning of course also that will address.

Well, let's work through these passages.

First be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man.

Luke 12 35 through 41.

We include Peter's question.

And as you read these verses these seven verses carefully.

They provide both a positive encouragement for readiness as well as a word of caution for Jesus

disciples.

First the positive promise for the one who's ready.

Again the Lord Jesus exhorted his disciples to be ready to receive him at his second coming to judge the world.

Let your waist be girded your lamps burning.

You yourself be like men who wait for their master when he will return from the wedding.

Then when he comes and knocks I may open to him immediately.

Blessed are those servants whom the master when he comes will find watching.

Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself have them sit down to eat will come and serve them.

And if he should come in the second watch or come in the third watch find them.

So blessed are those servants.

But know this that if the master the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not

allowed his House to be broken into.

Therefore you be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour.

You do not expect.

Just before these words our Lord encouraged his disciples to lay up treasures for themselves in heaven.

He assured them that it was God the Father's desire and intention to give them the promised kingdom and

therefore they should give themselves over fully to prepare for a glorious and abundant entrance and

position in that kingdom a Little earlier.

He said do not fear little flock for it's your father's good pleasure to give you a kingdom

the kingdom.

Sell what you have give on provide yourselves money bags.

Which do not grow old.

A treasure in the heavens that does not fail where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.

For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.

Jesus now tells them that they are to get ready for the time when he will come when their desires will be

realized.

They were to ready themselves for the day when they will begin to enjoy the treasures that they had formally

laid up for themselves in heaven and.

And so we read in verse 35.

Jesus say let your waist be girded your lamps burning.

He then began to relate a parable or a metaphor.

To illustrate the kind of concerns they should have and the efforts they should put forth in being ready for his coming.

He described a Jewish household.

The owner or master of the house being of some means he had a number of servants and it would seem The master was

away at a wedding feast, which was of an Uncertain duration in those days could go on for

days.

He would most certainly return but the precise time of his arrival was unknown to his servants.

They were to be ready for whenever he might appear they were to be dressed and waiting with their lamps burning.

Prepared to receive him and serve him upon his entrance into his home.

That's the parable.

The Lord Jesus set forth the master.

This parable is quite magnanimous.

For Jesus said if this master return home and found his servants to have been faithful and having prepared to serve him

He would reverse the roles.

The master would seat his servants down at the table and he would become their servant.

One can hardly imagine the Jewish master of a Household doing such a thing, but this surprising

detail does show this.

So does serve to show us the great delight and appreciation our master the Lord Jesus

Christ Will have when he returns and finds you and me ready

and waiting for him.

We should understand the illustration of the servants readiness and preparedness.

For their master's return to be analogous to the disciples of Jesus Christ living and serving their

master in his absence as they Await his return.

John Gill One of the few men in history that wrote a commentary on every book of the Bible

amazingly Wrote of the application of this expression.

Let your waist be girded your lamps burning is to be Christians with the girdle of truth.

Keeping close to the doctrines of the gospel abiding faithfully by them even unto death.

I think that's a truism.

Calvin was a little longer in his statement more detailed.

Now.

Though the Son of God has departed to the blessed rest of heaven is absent from us yet as he is assigned to everyone his

Duty, let it be improper for us to give way to indolent and indolent repose

Besides as he has promised that he will return to us.

We ought to hold ourselves prepared at every moment to receive him that he may not find us sleeping.

For if a mortal man looks upon it as a duty Which his servants owe him that at whatever hour he returns home.

They should be prepared to receive him.

How much more has he the Lord a right to demand from his followers that they should be sober and

vigilant and always wait for his coming.

To excite them to greater Lacrity as the word of the day.

He mentions that earthly masters are so delighted with such promptitude on their part of their servants that they

even serve them.

Not that all masters are Accustomed to act in this manner but because it does sometimes happen that a master who

is kind and gentle admits a service to his own table as if they were his companions.

And that's how the Lord regards us and will treat us.

When the Lord will return is unknown to us.

Nobody knows It was even unknown to our Lord in his human nature while on earth,

but when he comes.

But when he comes is really immaterial if we are always ready and always prepared to meet him and that's the whole point.

Not to know when he's coming.

He doesn't want us to know when he's coming.

He wants us to be ready regardless of when he comes.

That's the whole point.

The master in this parable might arrive home at any hour of the night perhaps even during the second perhaps even the third watch.

It should not matter when the Lord returns for us for he's gonna find us ready or watching

Lord willing.

Matthew Henry wrote the time our own masters return is uncertain.

It will be in the night.

It will be far in the night when he has long deferred his coming and When many have done

looking for him in the second watch just before midnight in the third watch next after midnight.

Is coming to us at our death is uncertain and to many it will be a great surprise.

For the sight of man comes at an hour that you think not Without giving notice

beforehand.

This bespeaks bespeaks.

Not only the uncertainty of the time of his coming but the prevailing security of the greatest part of

men who are unthinking and Altogether regardless of the notice is given them so that

whenever he comes it is an hour that they think not.

How many people in the world today are ready for the Lord's coming?

That which he expects and requires from his servants is that they'd be ready to open to him immediately when he comes.

That is that they may be in a frame fit to receive him or rather to be received by him.

That they be found as his servants in the posture that becomes them with their loins girded about.

Alluding to the servants that are ready to go with her their master sends them and do what their master bids them.

Having their long garments tucked up which otherwise would hang about them and hinder them and their lights.

Burning with which to light their master into the house and go up to his chamber.

So the Lord is purposely intentionally Left us uninformed about the time of his

coming.

Jesus himself said of that day and hour no one knows not even the angel in heaven nor the Son.

But only the Father that of course is in his human nature only.

Take heed watch and pray.

For you do not know when the time is.

This was God's purpose and he accomplished that all down through history people

have Christians Haven't known when he was going to return.

Well, then he gives a word of caution to his disciples verses 39 and 40.

But know this 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.

Therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour.

You do not expect.

This is actually a different metaphor than the one we just considered the master away at a wedding probably a wedding

feast.

Whereas Jesus had referred to a master returning home from a wedding to be met by his servants here He speaks of the owner of a

house who had been unprepared for a burglary that occurred.

This master suffers loss of his things to burglary because he was not alert in guarding his house.

We might say that our Lord was warning against nominal Christianity.

Those who lived in a manner that they were not prepared for his future coming.

Here is one who lived with no thought of Christ's second coming and accounting.

It'll come with it.

The Lord will come at an hour that no one will expect but some will be ready and others will not be

ready.

We could have dealt with the ten virgins the five ready and five not same message being proclaimed and

Again, being ready is living in faith and faithfulness to the Lord.

Jesus is one Savior and Lord.

And so Jesus here speaking about the hypocrite.

The hypocrite will be found out on the day of the Lord.

A hypocrite is not a true Christian.

You and I do not be as hypocrites who will have no salvation from his judgment when he comes.

We must always be ready for we do not know when he comes.

We shouldn't think well, I've been pretty good for a while.

I'm just kind of let go for a while.

Do my thing?

I'm okay.

There's some people who think that way.

Act that way.

By the way, here's a word to all date setters and date setter followers.

You do not know nor can you know when he will come here yet?

In fact, if you say he'll come on such as such a day we can be assured that he will not come on that day.

Because he said that he will come at an hour when you do not expect him if you expect him.

Then he's not going to come at that time and yet so many are

foolish to say well I might not know the hour but I think I know the day or the times.

Harold camping used to say that first in 1994 when he said Jesus is coming back and after

it didn't happen.

He he wrote a second book a decade later.

Setting another date.

No, we don't know the day or hour, but we know the seasons.

Foolish no, we don't know when he will come it doesn't matter though because we're all would he always to be ready throughout all

of life.

Now we would have to admit that for most of us life has been pretty easy for us in this world.

Our generation has lived a rather insulated life in this land in comparison to most people throughout

the world.

And the danger of us letting down our guard and living in disregard of the coming of Lord may be greater Therefore than

those who are living through great hardship.

Don't you think the Christians in Afghanistan?

I pray that the Lord would come this time.

Their future is bleak.

Mothers are throwing their newborn babies over the fence to American soldiers.

Won't you take my baby?

So it'll have a life incredible.

For when daily existence becomes difficult and uncertainty of the future encroaches the Lord's people will tend to look more expectantly

and In a more desirable manner for the coming of the Lord.

The Lord will sometimes therefore let loose the forces of evil and allow much trouble to come to us in

Order to wean us of the love of this world and to enhance our love for him and for our longing for his coming.

As we watch the world disintegrate about us and the injustice.

The sin.

That others celebrate, you know and and rejoice in that grieves us to the core

and what grieves us more is our own sin more than theirs.

We desire for the coming of the Lord.

And the Lord sometimes lets go of these forces to perhaps wean us from the love of the world.

The Apostle Paul wrote if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let it be accursed.

Oh cup.

Oh Lord.

Come.

Do we love the Lord?

Are we really looking for his coming or do we have it?

So easy that yeah, I come Lord, but wait a while.

I like the illustration I read this years and years ago.

Charles Spurgeon sought to challenge his own people regarding how they should long for the coming of Christ.

So he uses dogs as an example as a positive illustration.

I feel rebuked myself sometimes for not watching for my master when I know that at this very time.

My dogs are sitting at my door Waiting for me and long before I reach home there.

They will be and at the first sound of the carriage wheels.

They'll lift up their voices with delight because their master is coming home.

Oh If we loved our Lord as dogs love their masters.

How we should catch the first sound of his coming and be waiting always waiting never happy

until at last we should see him.

And.

Then his sarcastic way pardon me for using a dog as a picture of what you ought to be.

But when you have attained a state above that I will find another illustration to explain my meaning.

When we've arrived to their standard to their level.

Well, the Lord Jesus promised that the blessing would be so great for his faithful servants that watchfulness should

be maintained.

Regardless of how long one must wait as servants waiting for the returning master even

to the early hours of the morning.

The great outcome for perseverance and godly living and faithful witness is what's being stressed here.

Matthew Henry wrote but we do not know at what hour the alarm will be given.

Us therefore are concerned to watch at all times never to be off our guard or.

This may intimate the miserable case of those who careless and unbelieving in this great matter.

If the good man of the house Had had notice of his danger being robbed such a night.

He would not he would have sat up and saved his house.

But we have notice of the day of the Lord's coming as a thief in the night.

To the confusion and ruin of all since secure sinners and yet do not thus watch.

If men will take such care of their houses how let oh, let us be thus wise for

our souls.

Be therefore ready also as ready as the good man of the house would be if he knew what hour the thief

would come.

Now these words troubled Peter.

So Peter asked the question Lord you speak this parable only to us or to all people.

It's a Peter.

We're asking Lord.

You must be talking about nine non -disciples, right.

You're talking about them, aren't you?

For we're your people and these things seem to portend destruction even for us if we're not ready.

Are you telling this parable to us or to everyone?

And then the Lord responds verses 42 through 48.

He didn't respond directly to Peter.

But his answer addressed what Peter's concern.

He answered Peter indirectly.

So.

After Peter asked the question Jesus said the following.

The Lord said who then is that faithful and wise steward him his master will make ruler over his

household.

To give them their portion of food and do season blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he

comes.

Truly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

But if that servant says in his heart my master Delaine is coming and begins to beat male and

female servants to eat and drank be drunk the master that servant will come on a day when he's not looking for him

at an hour when he's not aware and will cut him in two and appoint his portion with the unbelievers.

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.

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.

And so the Lord didn't answer Peter's question directly.

But what Jesus did say suggests he was giving the warning to all would -be disciples.

Perhaps especially to the leaders among his followers.

Perhaps most directly to Peter and the Apostles.

Here are the words of I.

Howard Marshall who's with the Lord now wrote.

Excellent commentary on the Greek text of Luke's gospel.

The answer of Jesus then becomes an indirect reply to Peter's question.

He answers Peter with a parabolic saying that is concerned with the situation of the servant who's placed in charge

of other servants.

See, this is just in an ordinary servant.

This is a steward.

There by the general application of the earlier parables is not lost or rather they are seen to apply Especially

but not exclusively to the 12th and the other leaders among the disciples.

It applies to you and me first consider the great privilege and

responsibility of a disciple especially leaders.

In Answering Peter's question the Lord asked a question.

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 and.

So when Jesus spoke of the faithful and wise steward, he was referring to a chief steward of the household.

One who was in charge of all the other servants of the household this steward would have been a slave among other slaves

but the chief slave a slave entrusted with great responsibility in the

household.

In what way would the Lord bless this faithful steward.

We read of the great blessing that would be conferred upon him.

And.

So we read of this in verses 43 and 44.

Jesus said of the faithful one it is coming blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Truly I say to you he will make him ruler over all that he has.

The Lord Jesus promised his steward would be greatly rewarded.

If he's found to have been faithful to his responsibilities.

He would be granted greater privilege greater responsibility that he had formerly had.

Now the Word of God teaches us that there will be varying degrees of reward.

That the Lord will confer upon his servants at his coming.

That's clear.

The Lord will reward faithful stewardship.

Paul wrote of this with respect to himself and Apollos.

To the church at Corinth that we're trying to elevate these men to an unhealthy degree.

Paul for we he's referring to himself and Apollos.

We are God's fellow workers.

You're God's field you as a church.

You're God's building.

According to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder.

I've laid the foundation another builds on it.

But let each one take heed how he builds on it for no other foundation.

Can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Christ Jesus Christ.

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold.

Silver precious stones would a straw each one's work will become clear.

Talking about their ministry.

For the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire.

The fire will test each one's work.

Not saying fire will test each man.

Fire will teach will it's a bit.

It's a parable.

It's a metaphor.

Fire will test each one's work of what sort it is.

If anyone's work which he's built on it endures he'll receive a reward.

If anyone's work is burned he'll suffer loss, but he himself will be saved yet.

So as by fire.

That's not talking about a purgatory he's talking about an examination of scrutiny of

a person's walk in service before the Lord.

On the one hand Paul was diminishing his importance along with Apollos.

So that the people in the church would not elevate them to undo an unhealthy status.

But on the other hand Paul is acknowledging that the Lord will reward the faithfulness of his servants.

Paul described the examination of the works done in this life for Christ there can be much attempted

and much done which is not spiritual or fruitful and.

The product of that service will not endure.

The fire of God's judgment of those works again.

Not the men will discredit and dissolve any benefit that was thought to be accrued by those works the

wood hay and straw.

Only that which is truly spiritual and of the Lord that which may be likened to gold silver precious stones will

survive the trial and only that will result in the Lord giving reward to his servants and

Moreover the nature of the reward reward seemed to be a greater opportunity and

responsibility for service in the world to come.

We're not gonna be sitting around strumming on instruments in clouds.

You know, he'll.

Throughout eternity we're going to be serving him and and doing things on his behalf.

And your position in place in that service for God in eternity is.

Conditioned and.

Based upon how faithful you are in what the Lord's given you to do in this life.

The Lord elsewhere indicated one day That he would declare to his own well done good and faithful

servant.

You've been faithful over a few things.

I'll make you a ruler over many things enter into the joy of your Lord.

Now it should be noted and I think this is very important because you might think well, man, who am I?

What do I do?

I don't do all that.

Much that's important.

It's not how much you do but how faithful you are and what might be little you're doing now.

That will one day give way to rich and wonderful blessing and honor.

Not everybody is given the same degree of responsibility and opportunity.

But what the Lord has given you to do the role he's given you if you're faithful in that he's going to.

He's gonna bless you and reward you in a way that is beyond your comprehension your imagination.

It's all gonna be of grace, of course, not because you merit it in of yourself.

It's all of grace.

But it's important how we live.

We cannot fathom the future blessing that will read we will receive freely from our Lord.

Who's grateful that appreciative for your service and for your continuance in that service?

While ready and waiting for his return, but on the other hand we have The Lord's words of

terrible loss being found unfaithful by Christ at his coming.

Jesus then said but if that servant again This is a professing disciple if that servant

says in his heart My master delaying his coming begins to beat the male and female servant to eat and drink

and be drunk.

The master that servant will come on a day when he's not looking for him at an hour when he's not aware

and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers and.

That servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself.

Or do according to his will she'll be beaten with many stripes.

But he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes should beat 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.

It's all important that we finish.

Well.

All right, you believe to the past wonderful you've been believing that's wonderful.

Make sure you're believing on to the end by the grace of God.

That's it's all important.

We have to finish.

Well in faith.

Yes, there was a beginning.

Yes, there's a continuing faith.

John wrote at the end of the revelation.

He said to me it's done.

I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning in the end.

I will give the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts he who overcomes.

Salvation only belongs to the overcomers that is those who continue and endure in

faith regardless of what comes.

To the overcomer God promises that he will give the fountain of the water of life freely

to him who thirsts he will inherit all things and God promises I'll be his

God.

He shall be my son on the other hand.

The cowardly unbelieving abominable murderer is sexually immoral sorcerer idolaters and all liars.

She'll have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

I Always quote that verse to the scammers who send me notes, you know, we've got ten million dollars.

That you've inherited and I send that back.

All liars should have their part in the lake of fire that burns forever and ever.

I Had a young Nigerian fellow right back once and apologized to me.

Oh, I'm just I'm trying to support myself my sister.

I'm here in this internet cafe in Lagos, Nigeria, you know, please forgive me.

I'm a Christian too, you know.

It opened up a way of Witness to him it put the fear of God in him though.

Well, these words need to overcome trouble by these words cause trouble for many professing

Christians and Perhaps they should trouble many.

But it troubles them because it doesn't seem consistent with their understanding of salvation as a gift that through faith apart from

works is granted.

Them.

But these words are perfectly consistent with the scriptures true teaching of salvation as a gift the present

Justification and forgiveness of the believer as well as the eternal security of the believer.

Nobody can lose your salvation who truly saved.

But as we read these warnings and we hear them.

We take them to heart.

Because the grace of God is operative in our hearts our lives.

The warnings are not just you know hypothetical.

They're real to us.

We believe the warnings as much as we do the promises and it's by faith in what God has declared that he

keeps us.

And so don't think walking down an aisle or pray to sinners.

Prayer ends all things with regard to your soul.

It may be the main occupation of some to gain professions of faith or decisions for Christ.

That's the wood hay and stubble frankly.

That's going to be shown to be so superfluous and empty.

Nominal Christianity is really a problem with of Evangelicals who have assured a whole

lot of people that they have salvation when there's nothing in their life to suggest that they have

the point is this a Decision for Christ, but sets the believer on a course that must be finished.

Of course, it will be finished if you're truly the Lord's.

But the Christian life and salvation cannot be reduced to a sinner's prayer or a profession of the lips.

Becoming a Christian has set you forth on a race that must be won.

It engaged you in a fight.

You must win.

They caused you to enter a battle which from which you must come forth the victor.

It's embarked you on a pilgrimage which you must complete.

It has set you Before you the certain prospect of the judgment day when the fruit of your

life will be examined which will either prove or discredit your claim to be a believer in Jesus

Christ and So the Lord tells his disciples be ready.

Don't go to a place.

You would not want to be found if your Lord were to return for you and find you there.

Do not be participating in an activity which you would not want to be discovered when

the Lord returns.

And may the Lord grant us grace to be true and stand true for him and for him and we know by his grace.

By and by his sovereign power.

He will see to it and So this shouldn't cause us to be anxious or doubt our

salvation.

It should it should however steal us in a holy resolve Lord.

I'm gonna walk with you as you enable me.

I need you to enable me or it's not gonna happen, but I'm gonna trust you to do so.

You're my Lord my Savior and I'm gonna follow you as you command me.

And I know you'll help me doing so because you promised me to do so you will do so Through faith in you.

Amen.

Let's pray.

Thank you father for your word.

Help us our God to understand these rightly help us to have a proper balance of all these matters

our God and Help us our Lord to be faithful fervent witnesses for the true gospel of

Jesus Christ in our fallen world.

We pray our God for a great revival among ourselves.

That you would help us our Lord to walk in faith and faithfulness to you and we pray our God you'd

help us in our witness to the lost our God and that as we see so much difficulty

and hardship on every In every way on every side of us our God in

today's world.

We pray that it would cause Non -christians become unsettled our Lord and recognize

their need for you our God and for your son.

The only Savior of sinners in whose name we do pray.

Amen.