Sermon for Sunday March 6, 2022 Faithful vs Unfaithful Servants Luke 12:35-48

Is a consuming fire. Stand with us this morning as we read Luke chapter 12. We're going to read verse 35 through verse 48. That will be our text this morning. Luke chapter 12, verse 35 through 48. This is the word of the living God.

Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast so that they may open the door to him at once. And when he comes and knocks, blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake.

When he comes.

Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch or in the third watch and finds them awake, blessed are those servants.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You must also be ready for the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Peter said, Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all? And then the Lord said, who then is the faithful and wise manager whom his master will set over his household to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, my master is delayed in his coming and begins to beat the male and the female servants and to eat and to drink and to get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful and that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will will receive a severe beating.

But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given of him, much will be required. And from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Amen. Thus far as the reading of God's holy word this morning, you may be seated. This morning, if you are taking notes and want to put a header on the top of your notes, we are going to be considering being a faithful servant of Christ versus being an unfaithful servant.

The Command to Stay Ready for Christ’s Return

Faithful versus unfaithful servants. In the first five verses of our text today, we are going to see several things, a few of which are as follows. First of all, we'll see the command of Christ, particularly looking at verse 35 through verse 40.

Secondly, we'll see the command of Christ, the command that Christ gives. Secondly, we'll see the comparison or the example given by Christ to help his disciples to understand. Thirdly, we'll see the consequence of obedience as stated by Christ.

For there truly is, I think consequence is a negative term, really benefit might be a better word, but it doesn't start with a C, so it's hard to alliterate there. But we see the consequence of obedience as stated by Christ.

There's blessing to being obedient to Christ. And there is a consequence, there is a punishment for disobedience. In the very first sentence of this section, verse 35, here in the first sentence of Luke's gospel, we read two imperatives that Christ gives, two commands that Christ lays out.

And it's important for us to remember, who is he speaking to? He is speaking to a large crowd. Remember this is a large crowd that is gathered. The crowd is so large that they are trampling on one another.

He addresses part of the time his disciples, the other part of the time, the general audience. We see this throughout this text, throughout this passage, throughout this section of scripture. But he gives a very specific command here.

And first he says, stay dressed for action, guard your loins. And then he says, keep your lamps burning. These are important commands. Warren Wearsby, one of Kenny's favorite commentaries, Warren Wearsby observes that in this section, that would be Kenny 1, not Kenny 2, Warren Wearsby observes that in this section, Jesus shifted the emphasis from being worried about the present, what we read before, to being watchful about the future.

Now I want to say this, there is something very important in that statement there. Not being worried, as Warren Wearsby says, about the present, but being watchful about the future. For the Christian, we have a great hope, amen?

Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Wearsby goes on to say this, the theme in Luke 12 all goes together for one of the best ways to conquer hypocrisy, to conquer covetousness, and to conquer worry, is to look for the Lord's.

Return.

When you are living, Wearsby said, in the future tense, it is difficult for the things of the world to ensnare you. Our eyes are to be set, our hearts are to be fixed, our aim and our goal is not to get all we can in this world, but to realize that we have a home in heaven.

Our hope is not in this world. Now last week, you'll remember, we went through a lot of information, and we did that for the purpose, as we continue to move through this text throughout Luke's gospel, that we have a right and a balanced and a biblical understanding of the terminology and the context of what's being spoken.

Now I will say this, that there is a double entendre meaning within this text, which means this, a double entendre is simply an expression capable of two interpretations. Now these two interpretations do not change the context, they do not change the meaning, for when we talk about the coming of Christ, again, as we stated last week, the coming of Christ is literal in the text.

There is one day when the trumpet will sound and Christ will come. He will call us home, we will meet Him in the air, and the scripture says, so shall we ever be with the Lord. In the context of this passage, we must keep in our mind, when first understanding and grasping hold of the context, that the immediate context is the coming destruction on Jerusalem at that time.

So keeping in mind the context of the remainder of Luke's gospel here is the destruction of Jerusalem, simultaneously at the same time, let's also maintain the realization that the application, the application of what Jesus is saying for them, and when I say them, I'm talking about the disciples, is a context of immediacy.

It's within their generation, whereas our application of the text today is a watchful expectation and expectancy of the Lord's return. So these terms that Jesus uses before His disciples here, He says the term, stay ready, which literally means, literally means to fasten with a girdle or with a belt, to gird oneself, to be dressed in readiness.

It literally means, let your loins be girded, or stand, having your waist having been belted. So what Jesus appropriately begins this section on watchfulness, on being a faithful servant, using the picture of a man getting ready for action, for work, for war, for running, whatever the case may be, by first girding up his loins, which means he lifts up his flowing robes from his legs, tucks it into his belt around his waist, so that nothing impedes him from full movement.

We have this same term used, this stay dressed, gird up your loins, in the Old Testament. How providential it is that in observing the Lord's table today, that we can go back to Exodus chapter 12. In Exodus chapter 12, beginning in verse 1, the word of God states this, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, this month shall be for you the beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year for you.

Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month, every man shall take a lamb according to their father's houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons, according to what each can eat, you shall make your account for the lamb.

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male, a year old, you may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month. When the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight, then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat.

They shall eat the flesh that night, roast it on the fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it, do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roast it, its head with its legs and its inner parts.

And you shall let none of it remain until the morning, anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. And then in verse 11 there of Exodus chapter 12, the scripture states, in this manner you shall eat it, with your loins girt, with your belt fastened, this is the Greek Septuagint, this is the word that's used in the Septuagint, and you shall eat it in haste, it is the Lord's.

Passover.

For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments, I am the Lord.

The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague shall befall you or destroy you when I strike the land.

Of Egypt.

The Lord in the Old Testament gives this same command, it is this same picture, remember we cannot understand the New Testament without the context of the Old Testament. He was speaking to a group of men, women, boys and girls, who understood the meaning of the Old Testament, who understood what this meant, to girt up their loins.

So when Jesus says, stay dressed for action, the implication was clear to those whom he.

Spoke.

I want to say this, I know our custom today, we don't understand this, our custom today as human beings is to wear pants and shorts, but their custom was to wear, for the men it was a knee-length tunic, for the ladies it was a longer tunic.

Now the times and the customs may have changed, but the principle is timeless. We are called to be ready. Jesus is calling his disciples here in the text to be ready. Now if I were to ask this question to some of you, how many of you men here have ever had trouble running in a skirt?

I would hope that that would be the response, a quick reaction, because if you were too quick to answer Kenny 2, if you were too quick to nod your head yes and say, oh I'm there brother, there might be not only men, women, but children laughing at you for such a statement.

Now I know times have changed, nonetheless, nonetheless, the making ready for work and the action is the meaning and it's an ongoing present tense verb. So as well, it is still just as clear to this day for us as well.

We are to be ready. Christ commands, do not change over time. They do not lessen or even gain importance. They remain the truth of the scriptures themselves, the word of the living God. So my question to you here would be this, are you ready?

Are you prepared to meet our Lord? Are you living in such a way that it is bringing honor and that it is bringing glory to God? Next we see the word, keep your lamps burning, right? This literally means to set on fire.

It means to be consumed with fire. I sound like a hillbilly, no matter if I try to talk Greek or English, but I love the way that the Greek puts this, kayo ho luknas kayo, it's a continual thing, it's a continuous.

Action.

We are called to always have our belts, our loins girt about. As a matter of fact, the apostle Paul told the Ephesians, have your loins girt about with the belt of truth. The belt of truth is what holds everything together.

What is truth? Thy word, oh Lord, is settled in the heavens. The word of God is the truth that holds it all together. But he says, keep your lamps lit. It literally means keep them burning. It's a picture of a disciple who is ready at all times.

In John chapter 12, verse 32 through 36, Jesus makes this statement, and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

So the crowd answered him, we have heard from the law that Christ remains forever. How can you say that the son of man must be lifted up? Who is this son of man? So Jesus said to them, the light is among you for a little while longer.

While you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light that you may become the sons of the light.

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and he hid himself from them. This is John's account of Jesus' words. Jesus, even then, the context of that is be ready. Be ready. We should, Henry Schugel, actually one of his famous work is the life of God in the soul of man, I believe is the name of the book.

But he said this, we should keep a register in our minds. We should keep a register in our minds of all the imminent blessings and deliverances that we have met with. Some whereof have been so conveyed that we might clearly perceive they were not the issues of chance, but the gracious effects of the divine favor and the signal returns of our.

Prayers.

It goes back to that song, count your many blessings, name them one by one. The psalmist actually says, if I were to reckon up in things in order, the blessings of God in order, they are more than can be counted.

They are more than the stars in the sky. All my friends today, when we stay dressed for action, when we obey the command of our Lord here and we keep our lamps burning, going forward just a little bit more, going forward there to verse 36, and Jesus gives the example, if you would have it, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast.

Be like men, be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that when they, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes. If you ever, I think one of the most awkward things in life, just naturally speaking, one of the most awkward things in life is when you go to somebody's house for the first time and you knock on their door and you're waiting like five minutes for them to come to the.

Door.

I'm not talking about a pop-in visit, I'm talking about a scheduled, scheduled in advance visit, right?

It's awkward.

For me, it's just because my nature, the first thing I listen to after I knock is for a dog.

Barking.

They got a dog. I may need to reconsider my friendship with these people, right? But the picture that Christ gives is a watchful, expectant servant looking out the window waiting because they know at some point in some time their master is coming home from the wedding.

Feast.

And when the master comes, he ought not to be left waiting. Christ should not have a secondary importance in our life. He should be the main thing. He goes on here to say this, blessed are those servants.

Here we see the consequence of obedience. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table and he will come and he will serve them.

If he comes in the second watch or in the third watch and he finds them awake, blessed are those servants. It's very, very important here. We are to be awake. We are to be alert. We are to be aware. If Sarah were sitting beside April this morning, Greg, she would say, oh, now he's Mr.

Excited.

That's what she said last week, brother.

That's a quote from last week. We love the quotes we get from Greg's daughter, Sarah, but he says to be ready. And my friends, there is a blessing in resting in the goodness of God. There's a blessing in resting in the sovereignty of God that the God who called us out of darkness into his marvelous and glorious light has everything under control.

There's a blessing. The old song says, when peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, it is well. It is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blessed assurance control that Christ, though yet he has regarded my helpless estate and that he has shed his own.

Blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin in whole, not in part, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Oh, my soul.

And that last verse says, in Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sought, when the clouds roll back as a scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend. Even so, it is well with my soul.

Is it well with your soul today? Do you know that your sins have been forgiven? And if you do not know this today, let me preach the gospel to you. The gospel is this, that Christ died for our sins. Our sins have separated us from a holy God.

There is no way that we were at war with God, but Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh and taking on the likeness of sinful flesh, walked in a perfect obedience to the law of God, fulfilling the law of God to the jot and to the tittle, making him the only acceptable sacrifice for your sin.

And for my sin. And he went to that cross, nailed on the cross of wood, lifted up between the heavens and the earth, taking upon himself the wrath of Almighty God, because none of us were able to do such a thing, because he loved me.

My Savior died. And on that cross, he was crucified because he loved me. Can you say that today? You might, many say, well, I love Jesus.

I love Jesus.

But does he love you? Does he know you? For many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Lord, have we not cast out demons in your name? Lord, have we not done many wonderful works in your name?

Then he will say unto them, depart from me, you that work iniquity, for I never knew you. Oh, friends, verse 40, Jesus said, you must also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.

Again, keeping things in balance, this double entendre, immediate judgment coming on that generation, and for us today, looking forward with watchful expectation of the coming of our Lord and of our Savior.

Charles Spurgeon said this, brethren, whatever theory we hold about the future, may God grant that it may never prevent our looking for the coming of Christ as an event which may happen at any moment, and being on the watch for it as a matter of the date in which we do not know.

The practical essence of all scriptural teaching upon that subject is just this, you yourselves be like men that wait for their Lord when he shall return from the wedding.

Be ready.

The Parable of the Faithful and Wise Manager

We have that command. We have the example given to us. We have that. And then in verse 41, moving to our close here, verse 41 through 48, Peter asked a very specific question here. Peter said, this is the apostle Peter, Lord, are you telling this parable for us or is.

It for everybody?

It is very, very, very important. Remember, when we come to a question about a text of scripture, a text that may seem to be obscure, that may seem to have a general or broad answer, we always have to go to more specific text in the scripture to find the answer.

So, notice what Peter asked. Are you telling this parable for us or for all? Those were Peter's words. So, concerning parables, concerning parables and the use of parables, what do we find Jesus.

Saying?

This is important to understanding the context here. In Matthew chapter 13, verse 10 and verse 11,. Matthew chapter 13, verse 10 and 11, the scripture says this,. Then the disciples came and said to him, Why do you speak to them.

In parables?

And he answered, To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. So, Peter asked a specific question about parables. Jesus has already answered this question, why he speaks in parables, right?

It's given for his people to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, they cannot understand the things of God, therefore they are spoken to.

In parables.

So, who do you think, according to what Jesus, the words of Christ, who do you think Jesus is speaking to here? His disciples, his people here. And the Lord said, and he gives this parable, Who then is the faithful and the wise manager whom his master will set over his household to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, My master is delayed in his coming and he begins to eat, to drink, to beat the male servants and the female servants, and the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and in an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

Let's zoom out for a minute. In verse 53 and 54 of chapter 11 of Luke. As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him about many things, lying in wait for him to catch him in something they might say.

Christ here is speaking very much of the condition of Israel, the people of God in his day. And this reference is to his people who have fallen asleep, if you would have it on the job, who have become unconcerned and become uncaring toward the things of God.

Now, we read this continued exhortation of Jesus as he reminds his disciples of the importance of being good stewards of the gospel of the kingdom of God. Again, Jesus is denouncing the stewardship of the word of God by Israel throughout the years and he's encouraging the disciples then as well as us now to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Puritan Ralph Benning wrote this, while others fret at the prosperity of the wicked and they are envious at the foolish because they abound in goods, my prayer for them shall be this, much good may they do with it and much good may it do them.

The first is this duty. The next is the blessing. If the duty be not done, the blessing will not come. And if they do not do good, it will do them no good. For not what one has, but what one does with what one has makes him happy or miserable.

Those are the words of Puritan Ralph Benning. Oh, and in closing here, 1 Peter chapter 4, if you would turn there with us very quickly. 1 Peter chapter 4. Now, hopefully there was something maybe clicked in your mind right there.

Who is asking Jesus this question? Is this parable for us or is it for all? And here we have the words inspired by God of the apostle Peter in letters written to epistles to the church that is scattered abroad.

Tell me if this does not sound familiar to what Peter heard Jesus say. 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 1. Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do. Living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties and lawless idolatry.

With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery that then they malign you. But they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

For this is why the gospel was preached, even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. The end of all things is at hand.

This is a call for readiness to those scattered abroad. The end of all things is at hand. Therefore be self-controlled and be sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins.

This really is the application for bringing together all of the text in Luke here today. It's our application. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling as each has received a gift. Use it to serve one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

As good stewards of God's varied grace. Whoever speaks, let him speak as one who speaks the oracles of God. Whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen. This, you want to know how we are to carry out what we have heard today, how we are to live in the light of Christ's literal second coming, which will be one day. No man knows the day. No man knows the hour.

And some may say, well, preacher, I don't have the faith that you have. You're not called. Listen, if you've got strong faith, the command of Christ to you is live it with everything you've got. The truth and the reality is not everybody has big faith.

Some have small faith. But even in that, you are called to live with all, everything that you do, do it for the glory of God.

It's not.

It's not a competition.

Do you get that?

We're not in competition with one another. As the apostle Peter lays out here to be selfless, to be self-controlled, to be sober minded and to love one another. That is one of the great blessings and the great benefits of being part of the church of the living God.

That we have brothers, kin and sisters, little and big, that are willing to be with you, to pray with you, to care for you, to laugh with you, to cry with you, to do whatever it takes, because we are called to do such.

For by our love for one another, Jesus said this to the disciples, men will know that you are my disciples. So, are you ready? The exhortation to you is this, stay ready. Don't wait to get ready. Don't wait when you've got somebody coming over for dinner, till they knock on the door to get your clothes on.

Be dressed.

Be looking for them. Be ready.

Surprise them.

Keep your lamps burning. By the way, your source of fuel doesn't come from deep within you. Your source of fuel for your fire that fires and kindles your faith comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, who is himself eternal.

Trust in the Lord. Stand with us, if you would, this morning, please.